“I can only stay a moment. I came to tell you that it looks quite good for the shoot. The ducks are coming in heavily from the north. There are many big ducks. The ones you like,” he smiled again.
“Sit down Alvarito. Please.”
“No,” the Barone Alvarito said. “We can meet at the Garage at two-thirty if you like? You have your car?”
“Yes.”
“That makes it very good. Leaving at that hour, we will have time to see the ducks in the evening.”
“Splendid,” the Colonel said.
“Ciao, then, Renata. Good-bye, my Colonel. Until two-thirty.”
“We knew each other as children,” the girl said. “But he was about three years older. He was born very old.”
“Yes. I know. He is a good friend of mine.”
“Do you think your compatriot has looked him up in Baedeker?”
“I wouldn’t know,” the Colonel said. “Gran Maestro,” he asked, “did my illustrious compatriot look up the Barone in Baedeker?”
“Truly, my Colonel. I have not seen him pull his Baedeker during the meal.”
“Give him full marks,” the Colonel said. “Now look. I believe that the Valpolicella is better when it is newer. It is not a grand vin and bottling it and putting years on it only adds sediment. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“Then what should we do?”
