After the wine guy was gone from her life forever, Mary lit a fourth cigarette, a brand you canโt get here. She couldnโt explain exactly what was so upsetting to her. And then from the blah bar emerged Aliceโa small, brilliant, self-contained, comely brunette with a conversational knowledge of the mother of Alexander the GreatโAlice, of whom Mary had taken so little notice in the past, who without saying a word, because she had no secrets, at this very moment rested her head upon Maryโs shoulder.