He found the knob, twisted open the door, entered. "Why Jimmy!" the girl said in what seemed to be surprise and heavy delight. She crossed to him quickly and offered her lips to be kissed. "It's good to see you!" He took half a step backward, trying to keep the shock out of his face. "Oh, it's _so_ good to see you, Jimmy! Sit down. Tell me all about it, about everything. Did you make loads and loads of money? When did you get back? How's the lig fever?" He sat down, scarcely listening, studying the apartment, feeling vaguely ill. She was chattering, he realized, to overcome her embarrassment. "The books you ordered came. I've got them right here. They're all there but some poetry or other. There was a letter about that, but the people just said they didn't have it in stock. I opened it to see if it required an answer. Just a sec. I'll get them for you." She left the room with quick, nervous strides. The apartment had been redone since he had seen it. There were now expensive drapes at the windows, imported from somewhere; a genuine Earth tapestry hung above the door. Plump silken pillows scattered on the floor and a late model phono-general in the corner, with a gleaming cabinet and record spool accessory box. She came back with the books, neatly done up in a bundle. "I guess you still read as much as ever? Don said you always were a great reader." Uncomfortably, he stood up. She put the books on a low serving table, moistened her lips to make them glistening red. "Sit _down_, Jimmy!" He still stood. "_Jimmy!_" she said in mock anger. "Sit down! Goodness, it's good to have a fellow Earthman to talk to. I was so busy when you came by the other time, we scarcely had a _minute_ to talk. I'd just got here, you remember.... Well, I'm settled now, so we'll just have to have a nice, long talk." He shifted on his feet. "I don't suppose you've heard from Don?" Her voice was strained, almost desperate. "Isn't it the oddest thing, him knowing you and me, and both of us right here?" "He told me to write how you were getting along?" "... Oh." He smiled without humor and felt like an old man. He wanted to explain how he had looked forward to seeing a person from his own planet again. Now he wanted to remind her of the girl he remembered: When she had just arrived, still unpacking, eager to start as a junior secretary for the League. "Thank you for letting me send the books here," he said. The sickness was heavy in the pit of his stomach, and suddenly he was hard and bitter. He quoted softly: "The world forsaken, And out of mind Honor and labor, We shall not find The stars unkind." "Old poetry? I guess you really do read a--" Then understanding made her eyes wince. "That wasn't intended to be very complimentary, was it, Jimmy?"