“I didn’t break his jaw, but if he lays a hand on you, it will be the first of many things to break,” Patch said.”

“See, I can play nicely. I didn’t spring over the booth to strangle him when he hugged you, I didn’t shatter his jaw when he kissed your cheek and I didn’t break his fingers when he held your hand. You must appreciate how hard that was for me Layla.”

“You didn’t tell me she was so soft on the eyes,” he said to Patch, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He spoke with a heavy Irish accent.“I didn’t tell her how hard you are on them either,” Patch returned, his mouth at the relaxed stage just before a grin.”

“To break the silence the old man said the first thing that came to his mind: "Loneliness is a type of violence.”

“Then a lawyer said, But what of our laws, master? And he answered: 'You delight in laying down laws. Yet you delight more in breaking them.”

“I didn’t hear what was said, but I laughed, because I was too embarrassed to embarrass him by breaking up his punch line and laughter by asking him to repeat it.”