第40章

fatherwateringthegeranium-bedsbelow！Whatwastobedone?

TellDadhemustcomehome?ConfideinJune?——onlyshewasso——sosudden！Donothingandtrusttoluck?Afterall，theVac。wouldsoonbeover。GoupandseeValandwarnhimoff?Buthowgethisaddress?Hollywouldn’tgiveithim！Amazeofpaths，acloudofpossibilities！Helitacigarette。Whenhehadsmokedithalfwaythroughhisbrowrelaxed，almostasifsomethinoldhandhadbeenpassedgentlyoverit；andinhisearsomethingseemedtowhisper：

’Donothing；benicetoHolly，benicetoher，mydear！’AndJollyheavedasighofcontentment，blowingsmokethroughhis，nostrils……

Butupinherroom，divestedofherhabit，Hollywasstillfrowning。’Heisnot——heisnot！’werethewordswhichkeptformingonherlips。

CHAPTERVI

JOLYONINTWOMINDS

Alittleprivatehoteloverawell-knownrestaurantneartheGareSt。LazarewasJolyon’shauntinParis。HehatedhisfellowForsytesabroad——vapidasfishoutofwaterintheirwell-troddenruns，theOpera，RuedeRivoli，andMoulinRouge。Theirairofhavingcomebecausetheywantedtobesomewhereelseassoonaspossibleannoyedhim。ButnootherForsytecamenearthishaunt，wherehehadawoodfireinhisbedroomandthecoffeewasexcel-

lent。Pariswasalwaystohimmoreattractiveinwinter。Theacridsavourfromwoodsmokeandchestnut-roastingbraziers，thesharpnessofthewintrysunshineonbrightrays，theopencafesdefyingkeen-airedwinter，theself-containedbriskboulevardcrowds，allinformedhimthatinwinterParispossessedasoulwhich，likeamigrantbird，inhighsummerflewaway。

HespokeFrenchwell，hadsomefriends，knewlittleplaceswherepleasantdishescouldbemetwith，queertypesobserved。HefeltphilosophicinParis，theedgeofironysharpened；lifetookonasubtle，purposelessmeaning，becameabunchofflavourstasted，adarknessshotwithshiftinggleamsoflight。

WheninthefirstweekofDecemberhedecidedtogotoParis，hewasfarfromadmittingthatIrene’spresencewasinfluencinghim。

Hehadnotbeentheretwodaysbeforeheownedthatthewishtoseeherhadbeenmorethanhalfthereason。InEnglandonedidnotadmitwhatwasnatural。Hehadthoughtitmightbewelltospeaktoheraboutthelettingofherflatandothermatters，butinParisheatonceknewbetter。Therewasaglamouroverthecity。

Onthethirddayhewrotetoher，andreceivedananswerwhichprocuredhimapleasurableshiverofthenerves：”MYDEARJOLYON，”Itwillbeahappinessformetoseeyou。”IRENE。”

Hetookhiswaytoherhotelonabrightdaywithafeelingsuchashehadoftenhadgoingtovisitanadoredpicture。Nowoman，sofarasheremembered，hadeverinspiredinhimthisspecialsen-

suousandyetimpersonalsensation。Hewasgoingtositandfeasthiseyes，andcomeawayknowinghernobetter，butreadytogoandfeasthiseyesagainto-morrow。Suchwashisfeeling，wheninthetarnishedandornatelittleloungeofaquiethotelneartherivershecametohimprecededbyasmallpage-boywhoutteredtheword，

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