Pyle said solemnly: 'A man becomes trustworthy when you trust him'. It sounded like a Caodaist maxim. I began to feel the air of Tanyinwas too ethical for me to breath.

-'Have a drink?', Pyle said.

-'There is nothing I'd like better'.

-'I brought a thermos of lime juice with me'. He leant over and busied himself with a basket in the back.

By Jaclyn Le-Creative commons

-'Any gin?'

-'No, I'm awfully sorry. You know', he said encouragingly, 'lime juice is very good for you in this climate, it contains-I'm not sure which vitamins'.He held out a cup to me and drank.

-'Anyway it's wet', I said.

-'Like a sandwich? They're really awfully good. A new sandwich spread called Vit-Health. My mother sent it from the States'.

-'No, thanks. I'm not hungry'.

-'It tastes rather like Russian salad-only sort of drier'.

-'I don't think I will'.

-'You don't mind if I do?'

-'No, no of course not'.

From The Quiet American.Graham Greene