〃Not exhaustively。 Fashion isn't my field…as you know。〃
We entered his study； which was furnished in black leather； glass； and chrome。 Cassidy sank into an audibly cushioned chair while I looked at the three pictures on the apple…green wall。 There was an early Lichtenstein （a blown…up Dick Tracy panel）； an airbrush Marilyn Monroe； in pale blue； from the Warhol series； and a black…and…white drawing of a girl's head by Matisse。 The latter was over the ebony desk； in quiet isolation。 The drawing was so bad Matisse must have signed it under duress。 I sat across from Cassidy and put my empty glass on the rosewood coffee table。 The Filipino house…boy appeared with a fresh drink on a tray； picked up my empty glass； and handed me the drink and a cocktail napkin。
〃You wish something to eat； sir？〃
〃I think so。 A turkey sandwich； all white meat； on white toast。 With mayonnaise and cranberry sauce； and cut off the crusts； please。〃
He nodded and left。
〃You don't like the drawing； do you？〃
I shrugged； and sipped from my glass。 〃Matisse had a streak of meanness in him that many Americans associate with the French。 When he went out to a café…after he became well known…he would often sketch on a pad； or sometimes on a napkin。 Then； instead of paying his tab in cash； he'd leave the drawing on the table and walk out。 The proprietor； knowing that the drawing was worth a good deal more than the dinner； was always delighted。 A man full of rich food and a couple of bottles of wine doesn't always draw very well； Mr。 Cassidy。〃
He nodded； relishing the story； and looked fondly at his Matisse。 A bad drawing is a bad drawing； no matter who has drawn it。 But my little story…and it was a true one… had merely enhanced the value of the Matisse for Cassidy。 An ordinary person； if he had purchased a bad Matisse； would have felt gypped。 But Cassidy wasn't an ordinary person。 He was a collector； and not an ordinary collector。
〃An interesting story。〃 He smiled。 〃I don't have much here； and I haven't decided what to bring down from Chicago。〃
Here was a natural opening； and I took it。 〃I'd like to see the catalogue of your collection some time； Mr。 Cassidy。〃
〃Don't have one yet； but I've got a good man at the University of Chicago working on it。 Dr。 G。 B。 Lang。 D'you know him？〃
〃Yes； but not personally。 He wrote an excellent monograph on Rothko。〃
〃That's Dr。 Lang。 It isn't costing me a dime； either… except for the printing costs。 Dr。 Lang teaches at the university； and one of my clients is on the Board of Trustees。 Through him； my client； I managed to get Lang a reduced teaching schedule。 He teaches two courses； and the rest of his load is research； the research being my catalogue。 Dr。 Lang's happy because he'll get another publication under his belt and； if he does a bang…up job； the University of Chicago Press wifi probably publish it。〃
When Cassidy smiled； exposing his teeth； his canines made little dents in his bottom lip。 He stared at me for two long beats。 His eyes； behind the gold…rimmed glasses； were flat and slightly magnified。 He leaned forward slightly。 〃When men of good wifi get together； some sort of deal can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction。 Isn't that right； James？〃
〃If they're 'men of good will； yes。 But my own experience has led me to believe that there aren't many of them around。〃
He laughed； as though I had said something funny。 The houseboy brought my sandwich。 I took a bite and called him back before he got out the door。 〃Just a minute！ This isn't mayonnaise； this is salad dressing。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Don't you have any mayonnaise？〃
〃No； sir。 May I bring you something else； sir？〃
〃Never mind。〃
In his own way； Joseph Cassidy was as famous as Lee Bailey。 In court Cassidy was certainly as good a lawyer； but he wasn't as flamboyant with reporters outside of court as Bailey； nor did he take cases for sheer publicity value。 He was a cash…in…advance； on…the…line lawyer。 No one had written a biography on Cassidy yet； but he had socked away a lot more money than Bailey。 His shrewdness in buying the right painters at the right time and at rock…bottom prices had made him another fortune…if he ever decided to put his collection on the market。
The houseboy still hovered about； wanting but unwilling to leave。 He was upset because I didn't eat the sandwich。
〃Close the bar； Rizal；〃 Cassidy ordered quietly； 〃and tell Mrs。 Bentham that I'll see that Mr。 Figueras gets home all right。〃 He exposed his toothy smile。 〃You don't mind sticking around for a while； do you； James？〃
〃Of course not； Mr。 Cassidy。〃
Because of my upbringing； which has been on the formal side…insofar as observing the amenities was concerned…I resented the easy use of my first name by Mr。 Cassidy without my permission or invitation。 But I knew that he wasn't trying to patronize me。 He was attempting to put me at my ease。 Nevertheless； although I considered the idea； I couldn't drop to his level and call him Joe。 There's too much informality in America as it is； and in Palm Beach； during the season； it is often carried to ridiculous lengths。
Rizal left to close the bar； which meant that the party was over。 The guests would depart without saying good…bye to their host； and that would be that。 Not out of rudeness； but out of deference。 If Cassidy had gone out for a series of formal good…nights they would have adjusted to that kind of leave…taking just as easily。
After Rizal closed the door； Cassidy took a cigar out of his desk humidor； lighted it； and sat down again。 He didn't offer me one。
〃James；〃 Cassidy said earnestly； 〃I know a lot more about you than you think I do。 I rarely miss one of your critical articles； and I think you write about art with a good deal of insight and perception。〃
〃Thank you。〃
〃This is all straight talk； James。 I'm not in the habit of handing out fulsome praise。 A second…rate critic doesn't deserve it； and a first…rate critic doesn't need it。 In my opinion； you're well on the way to being one of our best young American critics。 And； according to my investigations； you're ambitious enough to be the best。〃
〃By investigations； if you mean you've been talking to Gloria about me； she isn't the most reliable witness； you know。 We've been friends for several years now； and she's prejudiced in my favor。〃
〃No； not only Gloria； James； although I've talked to her； too。 I've talked to dealers； to some of my fellow collectors； and even to Dr。 Lang。 You might be interested to know that Dr。 Lang's highly impressed with your work； and he knows more about art history and criticism than I'll ever know。〃
〃I'm not so sure about that； Mr。 Cassidy。〃
〃He should。 That's his business…and yours。 I'm an attorney； not an art historian。 I don't even intend to write a foreword to my catalogue…although Lang suggested it to me。〃
〃Most collectors do。〃
He nodded； and waved his right hand slowly so the ash wouldn't fall off the end of his cigar。 〃In the art world； you happen to have a reputation for integrity。 And I've been informed that you're incorruptible。〃
〃I'm not getting rich as an art critic； if that's what you mean。〃
〃I know。 I also know how to make inquiries。 That's my business。 The law is ninety…five percent preparation； and if a man does his homework； it's easy to look good in the courtroom。 To return to corruption for a moment； let me say that I respect your so…called incorruptibility。〃
〃The way you say it makes me feel as if I've missed some opportunity to make a pie of dough or something and turned it down。 If I have missed out on something； I sure don't know about it。〃
〃If you want to play dumb； I'll spell it out for you。 Number one…free pictures。 That kid's show this evening； ah； Westcott。 Suppose you had said to Gloria that you would give Westcott a nice buildup in return for a couple of free pictures； what would have happened？〃
〃In Westcott's case； she'd have given all of them to me。〃 I grinned。 〃But you aren't talking about integrity now； Mr。 Cassidy； you're talking about my profession。 I've never taken a free picture。 The walls of my apartment in the Village are bare except for chance patterns of flaking paint。 But if I ever took one picture； just one； that I could resell for two or three hundred bucks； the word would be out that I was on the take。 From that moment on I would be dead as a critic。 And a good review for pay； which is still being done in Paris； has damned near ruined serious art criticism in France。
〃There are some exceptions； naturally； and those of us in the trade know who they are。 So the way things are； I can't even afford to take legitimate art gifts from friends； even when I know that there are no strings attached。 The strings would be there inadvertently。 The mere fact that I took the gift might influence my opinion if I ever had to cover the man's show。 By the same token； I don't buy anything either。 And I've had some chances to buy some things that even I could afford。 But if I owned a painting； you see； there might be a temptation on my part to push the artist beyond his worth…possibly…I don't know that I would…in order to increase the value of my own painting。 I d