i 179

‘you like to stay at my place tonight? It’s not far
from here.’ = ‘

“I started to laugh. The very idea of spending the
night with a young man not much older than my
son. But I held back. It might have hurt his feelings.
- I fumbled around for words.

“‘Oh, come on. It’s not the G. Hotel. But it would
do you good. See how the other half lives.’

“I was intrigued. Like all Americans I'd com-
plained that I'd never seen the inside of an Italian
home. Now here I was with an invitation. Why not
take it? I told Franco I would. s

“Cabs were waiting outside and without more dis-
cussion he tumbled me into the first one. It was a
short five minutes’ drive before we reached his place.
One of those smart, modern buildings that have been
built in Rome since the war. I was impressed.

“‘This isn’t really my place,” Franco said as he
put the key in the lock. “It belongs to a friend. He’s
in Paris.’

“It was a lovely apartment, tastefully decorated.
The living room opened onto a ferraza with a gor-
geous view of the city below.

“Franco was the perfect host. He mixed drmks
before I had a chance to ask for one. The next two