〃Not quite。 How did he get into the States without reporters finding out？〃
〃No problem。 Paris to Madrid； Madrid to Puerto Rico； through the customs at San Juan； then on to Miami…and he came in on a student visa。 J。 Debierue。 Who's going to suspect a man in his nineties on a student visa？ And Debierue is a mon enough name in France。 There are about sixty flights a day from the Caribbean ing into Miami International on Sundays。 It's the busiest airport in the world。〃
I nodded。 〃And the ugliest； too。 So he's been right here in Florida for eight months？〃
〃Not exactly。 The negotiations started eight months ago； and it took some time to set everything up。 The funny thing is； the old man will actually be a student。 I mentioned my connections at the University of Chicago…well； starting in September； Debierue will be taking twelve hours of college credit； by correspondence； from Chicago。〃
〃What's his major？〃
〃Cost accounting and management。 I've got a young man working for me who can whip through those correspondence courses with his left hand； and he'll probably get the old man an A average。 On a student visa； you see； you have to carry twelve hours a semester to stay in the country。 As long as you're making good grades with the college； you can stay as long as you like。〃
〃I know。 But why me？ Why don't you steal a picture from Debierue？〃
〃He'd know it was me； that's why。 After I got him settied； he told me he didn't want me to visit him。 For the sake of secrecy。 I went down a couple of times anyway and pestered him for a painting。 He got good and angry the last time； and his studio is kept padlocked。 I want one of his paintings。 I don't care what it is； or whether anyone knows that I have one。 I'll know； and that's enough。 For now。 Of course； if you manage to get a successful interview…and that's your problem…and you write about his new work…he hasn't got too many years to live…then I can bring my painting out and show it。 Can't I？〃
〃I understand。 You'll have pulled off the collector's coup of this decade…but what happens to me？〃
〃You'll stand still for it； no matter what happens。 I've checked you out； I told you。 You're ambitious； and you'll be the first； as well as the only； American critic to have an exclusive interview with the great Jacques Debierue。 After you steal one of his pictures； he sure as hell won't talk to anyone else。〃
〃What time is it set up for； and when？〃
〃It isn't。 That's up to you。〃 He wrote the address on the yellow pad； and sketched in State Road Seven and the branch road leading into it from Boynton Beach。 〃If you happen to drive past the turnoff； and you might miss Debierue's road because it's dirt and you can't see the house from the highway； you'll know you missed it when you spot the drive…in movie about a half mile farther on。 Turn around and go back。〃
〃Does he know I'm ing？〃
〃No。 That's your problem？〃
〃Why did he decide to e to Florida？〃
〃Ask him。 You're the writer。〃
〃He might slam the door in my face； then？〃
〃Who knows。 We made a deal； that's all； and we shook hands on it。 I know my business； and you should know yours。 Any more questions？〃
〃Not for you。〃
〃Good。〃 He got to his feet； an abrupt signal that the discussion was finished。 〃When are you driving down？〃
〃That's my business。〃 I grinned； and stuck out my hand。
We shook hands again； and Cassidy asked kindly if he could telephone for a taxi。 Sending me home in a cab at my own expense was his method of 〃seeing that I got home all right。〃
I declined； and rode down in the elevator。 To clear my head； I preferred to walk the few blocks to my apartment。 As I walked the quiet streets through the warm soft night； a Palm Beach police car； staying a discreet block behind； trailed me home。 I wasn't suspected of anything。 The cops were merely making certain that I would get home all right。 Palm Beach is probably； together with Hobe Sound； the best…protected city in the United States。
Now that I was alone； I was so filled with excitement I could hardly think straight。 Dada； first； and Surrealism； second； were my favorite periods in art history。 And because of my interest in these movements when I had been in Paris； I knew the Paris art scene of the twenties better； in many respects； than most of the people who had participated in it。 And Debierue…Jacques Debierue！ Debierue was the key figure； the symbol of the dividing line； if a line could be delineated； in the split between Dada and Surrealism！ In my exhilarated state； I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep。 I was going to put on a pot of coffee and jot down notes on Debierue from memory in preparation for the interview。 Tomorrow； I thought； tomorrow！
I turned the key in the door and opened it to unexpected light。 The soft light streamed in from the bathroom。 Silhouetted in the bathroom doorway； wearing a gray…blue shorty nightgown； was my tawny…maned schoolteacher。 Her long； swordlike legs trembled at the knees。
〃I…I came back； James；〃 Berenice said tearfully。
I nodded； dumbly； and lifted my arms so she could rush into them。 After she calms down； I thought； I'll have her make the coffee。 Berenice makes much better coffee than I do 。 。 。
5
Debierue is a difficult artist to explain； I explained to Berenice over coffee：
〃No pido nunca a nadie is a good summary of the code Debierue's lived by all his life。 Translated； it means； 'I never ask nobody for nothing：
〃I think that's the first time I've ever heard you talk in Spanish； James。〃
〃And it might be the last。 It didn't take me long to quit speaking Spanish after we moved to New York from San Juan。 And as soon as I wised up to how they felt about Puerto Ricans； I got rid of my Spanish accent； too。 But the Spanish No pido nunca a nadie sounds better because the reiterated double negatives don't cancel each other out as they do in English。 And that's the story of Debierue's life； one double negative action after another until； by not trying to impress anybody； he ended up by impressing everybody。〃
〃But why did you give up speaking Spanish？〃
〃To prove to myself； I suppose； that a Puerto Rican's not only as good as anybody else； he's a damned sight better。 Besides； that's what my father would've done。〃
〃But your father's dead； you told me…〃
〃That's right。 He died when I was twelve； but technically I never had a father。 He and my mother separated before I was a year old； you see。 They didn't get divorced because they were Catholics； although my mother made semi…official arrangements with the church for them to live apart。 There was no money problem。 He supported us until he died； and then we came up to New York； Mother and I； with the insurance and the money from the sale of our house in San Juan。〃
〃But you saw him once in a while； didn't you？〃
〃No。 Never。 Not after their separation…except in photographs； of course。 That's what made things so tough for me； Berenice。 What I've had instead is an imaginary father； a father I've had to make up myself； and he's what you might call un hombre duro…a hard man。〃
〃What you mean； James； you've deliberately made things hard on yourself。〃
〃It isn't that simple。 A boy who doesn't have a father around doesn't develop a superego； and if you don't get a superego naturally you've got to invent one…〃
〃That's sffly。 Superego is only a jargon word for 'conscience；' and everybody's got a conscience。〃
〃Have it your way； Berenice； although Fromm and Rollo May wouldn't agree with you。〃
〃But you've got a conscience。〃
〃Right。 At least I've got one intellectually； if not emotionally； because I was smart enough to create an imaginary father'
〃Sometimes I don't understand you； James。〃
〃That's because you're like the little old lady in Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon。〃
〃I've never read it。 That's his book on bullfighting； isn't it？〃
〃No。 It's a book about Hemingway。 By talking about bullfighting he tells us about himself。 You can learn a lot about bullfighting in Death in the Afternoon； but what you learn about life and death is a matter of Hemingway。〃
〃And the little old lady。 。 。 ？〃
〃The little old lady in Death in the Afternoon kept asking irrelevant questions。 As a consequence； she didn't learn much about bullfighting or Ernest Hemingway and toward the end of the book Hemingway has to get rid of her。〃
〃I'm not a little old lady。 I'm a young woman and I can learn。 And if I want to understand you better； I should listen to what you have to say about art because it's a matter of life and death to you。〃
〃You might put it that way。〃
〃I am putting it that way。〃
〃Would you like to hear about Jacques Debierue？〃
〃I'd love to hear about Jacques Debierue！〃
〃In that case； I'll begin without the overall frame of reference and fill in the necessary background as I e to it。 I said； I'll begin without the…I see； you don't have any relevant questions and you've decided to remain silent until you do？ Fine。 You'll understand my exhilaration about my opportunity to meet Jacques Debierue； then； when I tell you that I've read all； as far as I know； that's been written about him。 The scope