"Murray Leinster - Time Tunnel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leinster Murray)

will pay part of it in advance. They will gloat. And I will tell
this workman what an idiot he is to work for what they
pay him! I will advance him money to do such work for
modem millionaires! If necessary, I'll send people to him who
will pay him something adequate! Because he is an artist!"
Harrison stared at him in alarm.
"But look here!" he protested. "You can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Why, Valerie! We were children together! And I knew
this Madame Carroll when she was a skinny virgin, trying
desperately to get herself a suitable husband! She's Valerie's
aunt and she was a tartar then and she's worse now!
Valeric lives with her! She doesn't want Valeric to know
anybody because if she married, her aunt would have to
pay a decent wage for somebody to help in the shop!"
Pepe snorted.
"You talked to her for fifteen minutes and you have a
complete picture of the difficulties to romance with her! One
doesn't learn such things unless there's some thought of evad-
ing them!"
Harris said indignantly:
"But she's a nice kid! I liked her when we were children!
And dammit, I've been lonesome! I'm not interested in ro-
mance in the abstract, Pepe. You have to be a Frenchman
or a Mexican to do that! But Valerie's a nice kid! And I don't
want to make trouble for her!"
"She is not allowed to know young men," said Pepe in a
detached tone. "Have you arranged to meet her, ah, pri-
vately?"
"Well . . . yes," Harrison admitted.
"And you do not want to make trouble for her!" said Pepe
sardonically. "Ah, you rascal! In fifteen minutes you made
her remember you, you learned about her tragic and unhappy
life, and you made a date! You're a fast worker, my friend!"
Harrison said angrily:
"Look here, Pepe! I won't have that! I . . ."
Pepe waved his hand.
"Oh, I am helpless! I admit it! I've taken upon myself to
rescue a skilled craftsman from peonage to French shop-
keepers, than which there could be no worse slavery. But
you can spoil things for me. You could tell Valerie of my
noble purpose, and she could tell her aunt, which would spoil
my altruistic scheme. So I'll make a deal with you."
Harrison glared at him. Pepe grinned.
"We go to the shop together. Again. Maybe Madame Carroll
won't be there. In that case you can talk to Valerie. A bribe,
eh? All I'll do is plant the idea of a specially-made article.
If she or Dubois are there, I'll set up the idea of a fine
swindle of which I'm to be the victim. Then they'll be
amiable to you because you are my friend. They may even