The Quiet Dogs

The young woman s name was Hilde， and Michael had<br > met her casually the previous evening. Tonight， remembering<br > the elderly undergraduate joke， Never make love on an<br > empty stomach--always give her dinner first， he had pro-<br > vided a meal at the Bath Hotel.<br > They would not be disturbed; for young Michael Gold， in<br > his last post-graduate year， had a good understanding with<br > his bedder， a Mrs. Florence， who knew all about the goings-on<br > among undergraduates and graduates. She would turn a blind<br > eve in the morning. But morning was a long way off. He leaned<br > against the inner door， smiling at blonde and plump Hilde.<br > \"So here we are.\" He briefly reflected on the inanity ofhis<br > own remark.<br > \"Yes.\" She had already indicated her willingness， over<br > dinner， and came towards him--predatory， eager， arms en-<br > circling his neck， and lips closing on his as though she might<br > devour him. An Amazon cannibal. A female spider hungry to<br > consummate and then consume.<br > They reached first base on the old settee， and it crossed<br > Michael Gold s mind that this particular piece of furniture，<br > which must have served several generations of under-<br > graduates， probably could have recounted a multitude of<br > ~(aXesJlove granted and received; troths plighted; lies<br > believed; deceptions carried through; lust slaked. Tonight，<br > l M?t gtaet\" ano~ l~i，\"a & f.~ oa .， &\" a-.~cl..g-~\" c a\"c~\" ，:a*~.\"..\"3，\" ~2~ .~Z -，7~fl~E~ E<br > could not be much about in Tunbridge Wells， he considered.<br > (-(((de was from Tunbridge Wells--an au pair.<br ><br >