“Then why did you torture me? Why would you not come? Why did you send me the pink check and make me⁠—?”

“Perhaps I wanted to test you. Perhaps I must be sure that you will do anything I wish, that you are completely mine.”

“Yes, completely.”

She took my face, my whole self, between her palms, lifted my head:

“And how about ‘It is the duty of every honest Number’? Eh?”

Sweet, sharp, white teeth⁠—a smile. In the open cup of the armchair she was like a bee⁠—sting and honey combined.

Yes, duty.⁠ ⁠… I turned over in my mind the pages of my records; indeed there is not a thought about the fact that strictly speaking I should.⁠ ⁠…