Ɖ Frenć, morovr, wr vrćl victrz. Ɖer tīm hd finiśt solidli; ɖe hd bn plest secnd n ʈrd n ɖ drîvr v ɖ winñ Jrmn car wz rportd a Beljn. Ć blu car, ɖrfr, rsivd a dubl meźr v welcm az it topt ɖ crest v ɖ hil n ć ćir v welcm wz acnolijd wɖ smîlz n nodz bî ɖoz in ɖ car. In wn v ɖz trimli bilt carz wz a parti v for yuñ men huz spirits sīmd t b at preznt wel abv ɖ levl v s’xesfl Galisizm: in fact, ɖz for yuñ men wr olmst hlerịs. Ɖe wr Śarl Seḡĩ, ɖ ǒnr v ɖ car; Ãdre Rivier, a yuñ ilectriśn v Cnedịn brʈ; a hyj Hungerịn nemd Vlona n a nītli grūmd yuñ man nemd Dôl. Seḡĩ wz in gd hymr bcz h hd unixpctidli rsivd sm ordrz in advans (h wz abt t start a motr-istabliśmnt in Paris) n Rivier wz in gd hymr bcz h wz t b apôntd manijr v ɖ istabliśmnt; ɖz tū yuñ men (hu wr cuznz) wr olso in gd hymr bcz v ɖ s’xes v ɖ Frenć carz. Vlona wz in gd hymr bcz h hd hd a vri saṭsfactri lunćn; n bsdz h wz an opṭmist bî nećr. Ɖ forʈ membr v ɖ parti, hvr, wz tù xîtd t b jenyinli hapi.

H wz abt twenti-six yirz v ej, wɖ a soft, lît-brǎn mstaś n rɖr iṇsnt-lcñ gre îz. Hiz faɖr, hu hd bgun lîf az an advanst Naśṇlist, hd moḍfaid hiz vyz rli. H hd md hiz muni az a bćr in Cñztǎn, n bî oṗnñ śops in Dublin n in ɖ subrbz h hd md hiz muni mni tîmz ovr. H hd olso bn forćṇt inuf t s’kr sm v ɖ p’līscontracts n in ɖ end h hd bcm rić inuf t b aludd t in ɖ Dublin nyzpeprz az a mrćntprins. H hd snt hiz sun t Ñgḷnd t b edycetd in a big Caʈlic colij n hd aftwdz snt him t Dublin Yṇvrṣti t studi lw. Jimi dd nt studi vri rṇstli n tc t bad corsz fr a ẃl. H hd muni n h wz popylr; n h dvîdd hiz tîm krịsli btwn ḿzicl n moṭrñ srclz. Ɖen h hd bn snt fr a trm t Cembrij t si a litl lîf. Hiz faɖr, rmonstṛtiv, bt covrtli prǎd v ɖ xes, hd peid hiz bílz n bròt him hom. It wz at Cembrij ɖt h hd met Seḡĩ. Ɖe wr nt mć mor ɖn aqentnsz az yt bt Jimi faund gret pleźr in ɖ ssayti v wn hu hd sìn so mć v ɖ wrld n wz rpytd t ǒn sm v ɖ bigist hotelz in Frans. Sć a prsn (az hiz faɖr agrìd) wz wel wrʈ nwñ, īvn f h hd nt bn ɖ ćarmñ cmpańn h wz. Vlona wz enttenñ olso—a briłnt piynist—bt, unforćṇtli, vri pur.

Ɖ car ran on meṛli wɖ its cargo v hlerịs yʈ. Ɖ tū cuznz sat on ɖ frunt sīt; Jimi n hiz Hungerịn frend sat bhnd. Dsîdidli Vlona wz in xḷnt spirits; h cept p a dīp beis hum v meḷdi fr mîlz v ɖ rod. Ɖ Frenćṃn fluñ ɖer laftr n lît wrdz ovr ɖer śoldrz n ofn Jimi hd t stren fwd t cać ɖ qc frêz. Ɖs wz nt oltgɖr pleznt fr him, az h hd nirli olwz t mc a deft ges at ɖ mīnñ n śǎt bac a sūṭbl ansr in ɖ fes v a hî wind. Bsdz, Vlona’z humñ wd cnfyz enbdi; ɖ nôz v ɖ car, tù.

Rapid mośn ʈru spes ilets wn; so dz noṭrayti; so dz ɖ pześn v muni. Ɖz wr ʈri gd rīznz fr Jimi’z xîtmnt. H hd bn sìn bî mni v hiz frendz ɖt de in ɖ cumṗni v ɖz Conṭnntlz. At ɖ cntrol, Seḡĩ hd prizntd him t wn v ɖ Frenć cmpetitrz n, in ansr t hiz cnfyzd mrmr v complimnt, ɖ sworɖi fes v ɖ drîvr hd dsclozd a lîn v śînñ ẃît tīʈ. It wz pleznt aftr ɖt onr t rtrn t ɖ pṛfen wrld v spectetrz amd nujz n sgnificnt lcs. Ɖen, az t muni—h riyli hd a gret sum undr hiz cntrol. Seḡĩ, phps, wd nt ʈnc it a gret sum, bt Jimi hu, in spît v temprri errz, wz at hart ɖ inheritr v solid instñts ń wel wɖ ẃt dificlti it hd bn got tgɖr. Ɖs nolij hd prīvịsli cept hiz bílz wɖn ɖ limits v rīzṇbl reclisnis n, f h hd bn so conśs v ɖ lebr letnt in muni ẃn ɖr hd bn qsćn mirli v sm frīc v ɖ hayr intelijns, hǎ mć mor so nǎ ẃn h wz abt t stec ɖ gretr part v hiz substns! It wz a sirịs ʈñ fr him.

V cors, ɖ invstmnt wz a gd wn n Seḡĩ hd manijd t gv ɖ impreśn ɖt it wz bî a fevr v frendśp ɖ mait v Îriś muni wz t b includd in ɖ capitl v ɖ cnsrn. Jimi hd a rspct fr hiz faɖr’z śrūdnis in biznismatrz n in ɖs ces it hd bn hiz faɖr hu hd frst sjstd ɖ invstmnt; muni t b md in ɖ motrbiznis, pots v muni. Morovr Seḡĩ hd ɖ unmistecbl er v wlʈ. Jimi set ǎt t trnzlet intu dez’ wrc ɖt lordli car in ẃć h sat. Hǎ smuɖli it ran. In ẃt stîl ɖe hd cm c’rirñ alñ ɖ cuntrirodz! Ɖ jrni leid a majicl fngr on ɖ jenyin puls v lîf n gaḷntli ɖ mśīṇri v hymn nrvz strov t ansr ɖ bǎndñ corsz v ɖ swift blu animl.

Ɖe drouv dǎn Dem Strīt. Ɖ strīt wz bizi wɖ unyźl trafic, lǎd wɖ ɖ hornz v moṭrists n ɖ goñz v impeśnt tramdrîvrz. Nir ɖ Banc, Seḡĩ drù p n Jimi n hiz frend alîtd. A litl nót v ppl c’lectd on ɖ ftpaʈ t pe homij t ɖ snortñ motr. Ɖ parti wz t dîn tgɖr ɖt īvnñ in Seḡĩ’z hotel n, mnẃl, Jimi n hiz frend, hu wz steyñ wɖ him, wr t g hom t dres. Ɖ car stird ǎt slǒli fr Graftn Strīt ẃl ɖ tū yuñ men pśt ɖer we ʈru ɖ nót v gezrz. Ɖe wōct norʈẉd wɖ a krịs fīlñ v dis’pôntmnt in ɖ x’sîz, ẃl ɖ siti huñ its pel globz v lît abv ɖm in a hêz v sumr-īvnñ.

In Jimi’z hǎs ɖs dinr hd bn pṛnǎnst an oceźn. A srtn prîd mngld wɖ hiz peṛnts’ treṗdeśn, a srtn īgrnis, olso, t ple fast n lūs, fr ɖ nemz v gret foṛn sitiz hv at līst ɖs vrću. Jimi, tù, lct vri wel ẃn h wz drest n, az h std in ɖ hōl gvñ a last iqeźn t ɖ boz v hiz drestî, hiz faɖr me hv flt īvn cmrṣ́li saṭsfaid at hvñ s’krd fr hiz sun qoḷtz ofn unprćisbl. Hiz faɖr, ɖrfr, wz unyẓ́li frendli wɖ Vlona n hiz manr xprest a riyl rspct fr foṛn acumpliśmnts; bt ɖs sutlti v hiz host wz probbli lost upn ɖ Hungerịn, hu wz bginñ t hv a śarp dzîr fr hiz dinr.

Ɖ dinr wz xḷnt, xqizit. Seḡĩ, Jimi dsîdd, hd a vri rfînd test. Ɖ parti wz incrist bî a yuñ Ñgliśmn nemd Rǎʈ hūm Jimi hd sìn wɖ Seḡĩ at Cembrij. Ɖ yuñ men supt in a snug rūm lit bî ilectric candļamps. Ɖe tōct vołbli n wɖ litl rzrv. Jimi, huz imaɉneśn wz cinḍlñ, cnsivd ɖ lîvli yʈ v ɖ Frenćṃn twînd eligntli upn ɖ frm fremwrc v ɖ Ñgliśmn’z manr. A gresfl imij v hiz, h ʈt, n a just wn. H admîrd ɖ dxteṛti wɖ ẃć ɖer host d’rectd ɖ convseśn. Ɖ fîv yuñ men hd verịs tests n ɖer tuñz hd bn lūsnd. Vlona, wɖ imns rspct, bgan t dscuvr t ɖ mîldli s’prîzd Ñgliśmn ɖ bytiz v ɖ Ñgliś madṛgl, dplorñ ɖ los v old instṛmnts. Rivier, nt hoļi injenẏsli, unḍtc t xplen t Jimi ɖ trîumf v ɖ Frenć mec̣niśnz. Ɖ reẓnnt vôs v ɖ Hungerịn wz abt t privel in riḍkl v ɖ spyrịs lūts v ɖ r’mantic pentrz ẃn Seḡĩ śeṗdd hiz parti intu poḷtics. Hir wz cnjīńl grǎnd fr ol. Jimi, undr jenṛs inflụnsz, flt ɖ berid zīl v hiz faɖr wec t lîf wɖn him: h arǎzd ɖ torpid Rǎʈ at last. Ɖ rūm grù dubli hot n Seḡĩ’z tasc grù hardr ć momnt: ɖr wz īvn denjr v prsnl spît. Ɖ alrt host at an oṗtyṇti liftd hiz glas t Hymaṇti n, ẃn ɖ tost hd bn drunc, h ʈrù opn a windo sgnificntli.

Ɖt nît ɖ siti wòr ɖ masc v a capitl. Ɖ fîv yuñ men strold alñ Stìvn’z Grīn in a fent clǎd v aṛmatic smoc. Ɖe tōct lǎdli n gêli n ɖer clǒcs dangld fṛm ɖer śoldrz. Ɖ ppl md we fr ɖm. At ɖ cornr v Graftn Strīt a śort fat man wz ptñ tū hansm lediz on a car in ćarj v anɖr fat man. Ɖ car drouv of n ɖ śort fat man còt sît v ɖ parti.

“Ãdre.”

“It’s Farli!”

A toṛnt v tōc foloud. Farli wz an Americn. Nwn ń vri wel ẃt ɖ tōc wz abt. Vlona n Rivier wr ɖ nôziist, bt ol ɖ men wr xîtd. Ɖe got p on a car, sqizñ ɖmslvz tgɖr amd mć laftr. Ɖe drouv bî ɖ crǎd, blendd nǎ intu soft culrz, t a ḿzic v meri belz. Ɖe tc ɖ tren at Wstḷnd Ro n in a fy secndz, az it sīmd t Jimi, ɖe wr wōcñ ǎt v Cñztǎn Steśn. Ɖ ticitc̣lectr s’lūtd Jimi; h wz an old man:

“Fîn nît, sr!”

It wz a srīn sumrnît; ɖ harbr le lîc a darcnd mirr at ɖer fīt. Ɖe pṛsidd twdz it wɖ linct armz, sññ Cdé Rūsél in cōṛs, stampñ ɖer fīt at evri:

“Hǒ! Hǒ! Hohe, vraiment!”

Ɖe got intu a rǒbot at ɖ slip n md ǎt fr ɖ Americn’z yot. Ɖr wz t b supr, ḿzic, cardz. Vlona sd wɖ cnvix́n:

“It z dlîtfl!”

Ɖr wz a yotpiano in ɖ cabin. Vlona pleid a wōlts fr Farli n Rivier, Farli actñ az caṿlir n Rivier az ledi. Ɖen an impromtu sqerdans, ɖ men dvîzñ orijinl figrz. Ẃt merimnt! Jimi tc hiz part wɖ a wil; ɖs wz siyñ lîf, at līst. Ɖen Farli got ǎt v breʈ n craid “Stop!” A man bròt in a lît supr, n ɖ yuñ men sat dǎn t it fr form’z sec. Ɖe dranc, hvr: it wz Bhīmịn. Ɖe dranc Îrḷnd, Ñgḷnd, Frans, Hunġri, ɖ Ynîtd Stets v America. Jimi md a spīć, a loñ spīć, Vlona seyñ: “Hír! hír!” ẃnvr ɖr wz a pōz. Ɖr wz a gret clapñ v handz ẃn h sat dǎn. It mst hv bn a gd spīć. Farli clapt him on ɖ bac n laft lǎdli. Ẃt jovịl feloz! Ẃt gd cumṗni ɖe wr!

Cardz! cardz! Ɖ tebl wz clird. Vlona rtrnd qaytli t hiz piano n pleid voḷntriz fr ɖm. Ɖ uɖr men pleid gem aftr gem, flññ ɖmslvz boldli intu ɖ advnćr. Ɖe dranc ɖ hlʈ v ɖ Qīn v Hārts n v ɖ Qīn v Dîmndz. Jimi flt obskrli ɖ lac v an ōdịns: ɖ wit wz flaśñ. Ple ran vri hî n pepr bgan t pas. Jimi dd nt nǒ xacli hu wz winñ bt h ń ɖt h wz luzñ. Bt it wz hiz ǒn fōlt fr h frīqntli mstŭc hiz cardz n ɖ uɖr men hd t calklet hiz IOYz fr him. Ɖe wr devlz v feloz bt h wśt ɖe wd stop: it wz gtñ lêt. Smwn gev ɖ tost v ɖ yot Ɖ Bél v Nyport n ɖen smwn pṛpozd wn gret gem fr a finiś.

Ɖ piano hd stopt; Vlona mst hv gn p on dec. It wz a teṛbl gem. Ɖe stopt jst bfr ɖ end v it t drinc fr luc. Jimi unḍstd ɖt ɖ gem le btwn Rǎʈ n Seḡĩ. Ẃt xîtmnt! Jimi wz xîtd tù; h wd lūz, v cors. Hǎ mć hd h ritn awe? Ɖ men rouz t ɖer fīt t ple ɖ last trics, tōcñ n jstikletñ. Rǎʈ wún. Ɖ cabin śc wɖ ɖ yuñ men’z ćirñ n ɖ cardz wr bundld tgɖr. Ɖe bgan ɖen t gaɖr in ẃt ɖe hd wún. Farli n Jimi wr ɖ heviist luzrz.

H ń ɖt h wd rgret in ɖ mornñ bt at preznt h wz glad v ɖ rest, glad v ɖ darc stypr ɖt wd cuvr p hiz foli. H līnd hiz elboz on ɖ tebl n restd hiz hed btwn hiz handz, cǎntñ ɖ bìts v hiz templz. Ɖ cabindor opnd n h sw ɖ Hungerịn standñ in a śaft v gre lît:

“Dêbrec, jntlṃn!”

♣