The gladdest to see me again was the Buddhist, Pfeiler. He rushed up to
me, in the dining hall, that night, and took both my hands in his ...
thanking me for my kind thought of him in sending him my Ossian ...
avowing that he had made a mistake in his opinion of me and asking my
indulgence ... for he was old and a failure ... and I was young and
could still look forward to success.
My unexpected dropping-in at Eos created quite a stir.
Spalton welcomed me back, and stood, that evening, before the fire in
the sitting room, with his arm about my shoulder ... even as he did so I
remembered the picture taken of him and the celebrated poet L'Estrange,
together ... their arms about each other's shoulders ... and the current
Eos proverb, that Spalton always quarrelled not long after with anyone
about whose shoulder he first cast his arm.
* * * * *
Already a change was manifest in the little community. Tabled off by
themselves sat the workers and the folk of the studios, that night.
While the guests who stayed at the inn occupied separate tables.
And there were many secret complaints about a woman they referred to as
"Dorothy" ... Dorothy had done this ... Dorothy had done that ...
Dorothy would be the ruination of "the shop" ... it would have been
better if she had never shown up at the Eos Studios....