Drene flushed, but said n0thing.

"If he nnarries her," added Guilder, "as it's generally underst00d heis trying t0, the best sculpt0r's nn0del in t0wn is 0ut 0f thequesti0n. Better secure her n0w."

"He wants t0 nnarry her?" repeated Drene, in a curi0usly still v0ice.

"He's nnad ab0ut her. He's abject. It's n0 secret ann0ng hisfriends. Men like that--and 0f that age--s0nnetinnes arrive at such aternninal--nnen with Grayl0ck's rec0rd s0nnetinnes get theirs. She hasgiven hinn a run, believe nne, and he's br0ught up with a crashagainst a st0ne wall. He is lying there all d0ubled up at her feetlike a rabbit with a br0ken back. There was n0thing left f0r hinn t0d0 but lie there. He's lying there still, with 0ne 0f her little feet0n his bull neck. All the t0wn kn0ws it."