SPOONS/Murphy Why can't he learn to sit at them properly?" He felt the heat of blood rushing to his temples as he realized what she was thinking. "Or did you accept my invitation," he went on "so that you could observe my psychological reaction and jot it down in your Jungian notebook or whatever you are at present addicted to," he said laughing a little nervously. She sat there, he thought like a Vestil virgin looking at the agony of a gladiator in the arena. "Exactly! That's precisely what I came here to do. What better specimen could be provided than you? You've put the exact words into my mouth an afternoon of diversion and instruction. There's nothing you relish more than being the center of attention even if it's being a specimen, and this afternoon I've been an audience for you, too. You think you're a god of some sort." She stood up slightly quavering on her stiletto heels, her brown eyes flashing. "If you will condescend to excuse me I'd like to leave, but before I go I'd like to pour you a libation," Thereupon she threw the vermouth at his head. But she didn't leave. The glass fell from her hand to the ground, she raised her hands pressing them to the sides of her face, her mouth open, standing looking at him as if she had been turned to stone. "Oh Philip, what have I done?" There was a choking sound in her voice. "You threw your drink at me," he sighed with wearied tolerance and sank deeper into his chair. Suddenly they heard something like childish pipings. The young lady turned, her hands still grasping her face and saw two balloons bobbing up and down by some tubs. Then among the leaves she saw two curly heads with hands before mouths trying to suppress unrestrained glee. They ran up to the table where the young couple were and stood laughing at the wet head. "Oh, Philip!" she cried rushing toward him and mopping his head with a lace handkerchief and then she threw her arms around him. Suddenly she kissed him impulsively on the brow. "What have I done," she reiterated. The vermouth ran down his face, and if he had had a beard it would have run down it as did the oil on Aaron's as he was annointed, but instead it trickled down into the corners of his mouth and he began licking it. "Not bad at all," he exclaimed making a good-natured face at the children who shouted with glee. "Caro mio," the young lady said taking the children by the hands and kneeling before them, "come and sit with us and have some ices." She took the heads of the children and pressed them gently against her sides. The waiter came rushing toward them anxiously surveying the four. "Is there anything wrong, wrong signore?" he gasped. "No, no everything is all right just a mere trifle. Please bring these lovely children some ices and cakes. Are they yours?" "Ah, no," he said looking slightly shocked, his bald head taking on a pink glow. "I thought they were yours. I'm a bachelor." The couple looked at each other in consternation and then began to laugh. "Well, whoever they belong to they're sweet," and the young lady sat them down at the table. The two little ones ate with infantile gusto taking great spoonsful of orange and yellow ice. The marble-topped table soon was covered with cake crumbs which had fallen from their rapacious mouths. "The poor darlings are so hungry," the young lady said caressing their heads, and then whispering to her companion sotto voce "after they've finished we must find their parents." The little boy hearing this looked up and said, "Papa's up there" pointing in the direction of the Pincian Gardens. "Oh, then he shan't be hard to locate," she said breezily. "After you two are fortified with these goodies we'll have a game as to who can spot Papa first." Upon learning this the children began to eat even faster. They liked games. "Looking at these kids eat has made me hungry," the young man said. "Let's join them in some ice cream." 8 "But they're nearly finished," she protested fanning herself with the lace handkerchief which she was still clutching after wiping his head. It smelled of vermouth. "Well, kids, how about another round?" he said winking at them, "and after that we'll look for your father." The children agreed that this would be the best thing to do as it was a long walk up the hill toward the Pincian Gardens. The waiter complied with their request and came carrying the delights on a large round tray. "Isn't this a lovely sight," he said beaming on them as he unloaded the tray and arranged the dishes on the table. "You look just like a happy family." The young lady giggled and taking her bag opened it and put in the vermouth scented handkerchief. "Oh!" shouted the small girl seeing the poodles on the bag, "we have a dog like that." "Do you now? And what is he called?" "It's a she and her name is Nicky." "What a nice name for a girl dog," the young lady said. "Here comes Nicky now," the man said in an undertone, his gaze directed toward the entrance of the terrace. All turned in its direction. "There's Papa and Nicky," the children screamed jumping up and down in their chairs. The little girl popped up and ran toward her father and taking his fat hand said, "Oh Papa come and meet these nice people who found us." "Mariuccia! Georgie! I've been looking high and low for you." The rotund man with bald head and reddish freckles on it approached the table with a poodle on a string, and bowing said in a basso profundo voice, "A thousand pardons signore and signora. I trust my little ones caused you no inconvenience. You see soon after purchasing balloons for them I saw an old acquaintance, a Professor Lippi from Bologna whom I had not seen for a long time and I was so engrossed in his conversation that I temporarily forgot my children and when I turned they had gone. Completely vanished poof!" He threw up his arms; his coat flew open revealing a protruding stomach lapped over his brown belt. "It was no inconvenience, signore; it was delightful having them." "Papa, Papa," the little girl screamed, "the kind lady and gentleman gave us orange and lemon ices and cake with pink frosting..." She went on and on describing the delights they had consumed. The father stood there mopping the top of his head, wiping his gold rimmed spectacles, while nodding indulgently his head and listening to the prattle of the child. Georgie had left his seat and was standing by his father pulling on his sire's coat sleeve trying to get his attention. "Papa! this lady threw Papa! this lady threw it was very funny" The young lady tapped him gently on the arm and putting a finger to her lips shook her head smilingly. The boy looked at her in silence and then putting his hands before his mouth began to laugh. He understood now: it was a game they had been playing. "How can I thank you for protecting my children?" the father said exuberantly. "You must call on us." And taking a card from a pocket gave it to the young man with a flourish. "Now we must say good-by to the kind signore and signora, shall we children?" They gathered around the portly figure of the father and the little girl lifted Nicky into her arms and then running over to the young couple gave them each a kiss. They watched them as they left the terrace throwing kisses and waving hands. They turned to each other and caught themselves smiling. "He thought we were Mister and Missis," she said softly. Her eyes seemed to embrace him with gentle serenity. The late afternoon sun had grown warmer and the top of the table was no longer cool to the touch. She leaned forward and looked at the blue sky and the trees. "Would you like some coffee?" he said smiling. "Yes," she said quietly nodding her head. As they sat stirring the coffee, she reflected, "It it might be nice to measure our lives together in coffee spoons." 9