Arnaud Hallet appeared for dinner the evening after Linda's arrival;
a quiet man with his youth lost, slightly stooped shoulders, crumpled
shoes and a green cloth bag. But he had a memorable voice and an easy
distinction of manner; in addition to these she discovered, at the
table, a lighter amusing sense of the absurd. She watched him--as
he poured the sherry from a decanter with a silver label hung on a
chain--with a feeling of mild approbation. On the whole he was nice but
uninteresting. What a different man from Pleydon!
The days passed in a pleasant deliberation, with Arnaud Hallet
constantly about the house or garden, while Linda's thoughts continually
returned to the sculptor. He was clearer than the actuality of her
mother and the Feldts or the recreated image of her father. At times she
was thrilled by the familiar obscure sense of music, of longing slowly
translated into happiness. Then more actual problems would envelop her
in doubt. Mostly she was confused--in her cool material necessity for
understanding--by the temper of her feeling for Dodge Pleydon. Linda
wondered if this were love. Perhaps, when she saw him again, she'd be
able to decide. Then she remembered promising to let him know if she
changed her address. It was possible that already he had called at the
Feldts', or written, and that her mother had refused to inform him where
she had gone.
Linda had been at the Lowries' two weeks now, but they were acutely
distressed when she suggested that her visit was unreasonably prolonged.
“My dear,” they protested together, “we hoped you'd stay the summer.
Bartram's girl! Unless, of course, it is dull with us. Something
brighter must be arranged. No doubt we have only thought of our own
pleasure in having you.”
Linda replied honestly that she enjoyed being with them extremely. Her
mother's dislike, the heavy luxury of the Feldt apartment, held little
attraction for her. Then, too, losing the sense of the bareness of the
house Hallet Lowrie had built for his French wife, she began to find it
surprisingly appealing.
Her mind returned to her promise to Pleydon. She told herself
that probably he had forgotten her existence, but she had a strong
unreasoning conviction that this was not so. It seemed the most natural
thing in the world to write him and, almost before she was aware of
the intention, she had put “Dear Mr. Pleydon” at the head of a sheet of
note-paper.
I promised to let you know in the spring when you came back from South
America where I was. I did not think I would have to do it, but here I
am in Philadelphia with my father's sisters. I do not know just how long
for, but a month, anyhow. It is very quiet, but charming. I have the
room that was my father's when he was young, and look out of the window
like he must have. If you should come to Philadelphia my aunts ask me to
say that they would be glad to have you for dinner. This is how you get
here....
Very sincerely,