She dropped the cards on a table and went purposefully to the piano, where, still standing, she ran her fingers over the keys. “I knew Gershwin,” she shouted above the elaborate cadenza. The canaries hopped to the bottom of the cage.

May returned to the cards and looked intently at Annie.

“It’ll take me a little time. The modeling at the League hardly pays. But my father might send me another check. Well, I’ll try to get the money.”

May made a cage of her fingers through which she peered at Annie. “I’ll take you to see Swami Besharandi. I’ll regret leaving him, almost as much as my two birdies. He’ll give you the repose you need to raise the money.”

That evening, Annie met Samuel coming down the stairs from her apartment. He looked ashen. As soon as their eyes met, he began to sob dryly. “I think I’m going to be arrested,” he cried. She clutched the bottle of milk and the loaf of bread she had bought to her chest and started to pass him.

“Wait!” he begged. He followed her into the apartment and fell into a chair.

“Danny’s threatening to turn me in.”

“Danny?” she asked.

“Danny!” he shouted. “You know goddamn well who Danny is! He’s been living with me for five days!”

“I never saw him,” she said.

“The little bitch! Seventeen and as evil as an old hustler…”

“Do you want some beer?” she asked, hoping to mollify him.

“I had tea. I suppose you know what tea is? A little broad like you? The kind of tea that isn’t tea? And he wanted to try it. It made him sick. Everybody knows it makes you sick the first time! Now he’s screaming I’ve poisoned him and he’s going to call the cops. It’s blackmail! Just because I own a little real estate, he thinks…For God’s sake, I’ve lived off my own fat since ‘35. And that stupid little twat who’s got a mother and an estate and goes to some shitty famous prep school, who never washes his armpits, he’s going to turn me in because he stuck a reefer in his ugly face!”

“Samuel. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Marijuana. My Christ! Don’t you know anything?” If anyone ever asked her that question again, she would kill him. That’s all, just kill him. Samuel sighed. “You think he’s serious?” he asked.

“No,” she said shortly.

“You’re smart,” he said. “I always knew that. Will you talk to him? I’ll take you to dinner after. Will you?”