【】l,oogotoapublictelephoheattendanttookdoberoocallandlisteoeveryion.oftehereatall,andthephonekedup.</p>
eatfouroteaandbisihadbeenknotosyathizee,sho,orybejustsayheeetakeotionalstrain,ashisvoicealtogethersteady.</p>
eantteproposalie,hearriageisforyoungpeopleonlyperhapsishockedyouybluntproposal”</p>
“oh,no,notatall.ithinkitperfearry.andiurenyehoughiaratefultoyouandflatteredbyyourproposal,iaoundbyavoadetolatehusbandthatiains.ylife.”</p>
hiskindfayhandinhisandsaidreluustrespeainfaithfultoyourhusband.ihaveal.heyhandaftergivingitagentlesqueeze.</p>
theaontpassed.ihadnotcaused.hutolosefacebyaflatrefusal.thattheeseway.</p>
afterhisproposal,.huntiovisitfroitoti.heedhisoldpraeohathehadbeenrehabilitatedaoredtohisforrpositionasassistantnagerandefullprodu.</p>
“ire.thereissouedsuddenlytohaveshedtenyearsofhisage.</p>
in1980,tosaygoodbye.heeatohoughtallalongthatiyoldageinsnlandratherthalingdoadefalyinnativeuntry.</p>
tohavereaanattheageofsixtyoodinspiteofaoing.</p>
ihadunlockedthefrontdoorandboundingupthestairs.ilookedatthek.dadeinutesearly.</p>
“youareearlytoday,”isaidtohidoor.</p>
“ihavesothiotheroole.“iybegoingtobeijingioodistantfuture.”</p>
“indeed.haveyoubeenofferedajob”iaskedhi</p>
“.butiyhavea.</p>
“eaandapieceoftoast”iasked,asikneayshungry.</p>
“sotoastebackeatall.iherhehadeatenbreakfast,butididnotask.</p>
takingabookfroisbag,dadeasked,“doyouthinkudythistoday”</p>
thebookilypostsetiquette.“ostudythatthesofthisbookareofoaese.”</p>
“notuheatstationedabroad,”hesaid.</p>