Chapter 7 Chapter Two One, Two, Three

It was not until the end of June of the following year, when Eliot came to London, that I saw him again.I asked him if Larry had been to Paris at all; he told me he had.Elliot was so annoyed with him it made me chuckle. "I had sympathy for the boy. He was going to live in Paris for two years. I couldn't blame him, and I was going to give him a hand. I told him to let me know as soon as he arrived in Paris, but until Louisa I didn't know he was coming until I wrote to tell me he was in Paris. I forwarded him a letter from the American Travel Agency—the address was given to me by Louisa—asking him to come to my house for dinner, so that I could have dinner with the couple. Meet someone I think he should know; I want him to meet the French-Americans first, Emily de Montadour and Gracie de Chateaugallard, etc., you You know, what did he write back? He said he was sorry he couldn't come, and he didn't bring his tux."

Elliott kept his eyes on me, hoping that this revelation would shock me.When he saw that I was calm, he raised his eyebrows, looking very disdainful. "His reply was on a shabby piece of paper with the name of a café in the Latin Quarter printed on it; I wrote to him to ask him to give me his address. I feel that, for Isabel's sake, I had to help him; I thought maybe he was pretty--I mean I don't believe a normal young man would come to Paris without a tuxedo, and Parisian clothes shops wouldn't, anyway. Not too bad: So, I invited him to lunch, and said there were not many customers, but, believe it or not, he not only ignored my request to tell me his address, but still transferred from American Travel Agency, and said that he never eats Lunch. Now I can't help him."

"Do you know what he's doing?" "I don't know, and to tell you the truth, I don't want to know either. I'm afraid he's a very worthless young man, and I think it would be a great mistake for Isabel to marry him. After all, if he's leading a normal life, I'm bound to run into him in the Ritz or the Fouquet or something." I sometimes go to these trendy places myself, but I also go to other places.At the beginning of the fall of this year, I went to Marseilles to board a French postal service ship for Singapore, and happened to stay in Paris for a few days.One evening some friends and I had dinner in the Montparnasse district and went to the Café du Daum for a beer.I looked around, and before long I saw Larry sitting alone in the crowded hallway, leaning against a marble table.He was leisurely watching the passers-by; after the sweltering heat of the day, those passers-by were enjoying the evening coolness.I left my friend and went to him.

Larry saw me and smiled.He invited me to sit down, but, I said, I still have friends with me, so I can't stay longer. "I just wanted to say how are you," I said. "Do you live in Paris?" he asked. "Only a few days." "Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?" "I thought you didn't eat lunch?" He giggled. "You've met Elliott. I don't usually eat, and I don't have time, so I just eat a glass of milk and a biscuit. But I'd like to have lunch with you." "OK." We agreed to meet the next day at the Daôme, to have a drink and an appetizer, and then to eat at a restaurant on the Rue Montparnasse.I went back to my friend and sat and talked.When I looked at Larry again, he was gone.

two I had a great time the next morning.I went to the Luxembourg Museum[Note] and spent an hour looking at some paintings I liked, and then wandered in the garden, reminiscing about my youth.Nothing has changed.Those who walked pair by pair along the gravel path, discussing the writers that excited them, were probably those students back then.Those children rolling the hoops under the watchful eyes of the nannies are likely to be those nannies and children back then. Those old people basking in the sun and reading the morning newspaper are probably the same old people back then.Those wearing filial piety, sitting on public benches, talking to each other about food prices and servants' ills, are probably those middle-aged women back then.Later I went to the Odion, looked at the new books displayed in the corridors, and saw young people, like me thirty years ago, looking at as many as they could not afford under the impatient eyes of smocked waiters. Book.Afterwards I sauntered through those friendly and gloomy little streets to the Avenue Montparnasse, and then to the Café du Daum.Larry is waiting for me.

We had a glass of wine and walked down the road to find a restaurant where we could eat outside. Larry may have been paler than when I last saw him, which made his dark sunken eyes darker; Still smiling so innocently.I noticed that he spoke French fluently and with a good accent; congratulated him. "You know, I used to know a little French," he explained. "Aunt Louisa had a French tutor for Isabel, and they used to make us speak French to her all the time when we were in Mafen." I asked him if he liked Paris. "like very much." "Do you live in Montparnasse?"

"Yes," he replied after a moment's hesitation; I understood that it was his reluctance to give me his exact address. "Elliot is rather displeased that you only gave him an address forwarded by an American travel agency." Larry smiled, but didn't answer. "What do you do all day?" "Shake your shoulders." "Reading?" "Yes, read a book." "Have you heard from Isabel?" "Sometimes. We don't bother writing letters very much. She's having a great time in Chicago. She's coming to live with Elliot for a while next year."

"Wouldn't that be great for you?" "I dare say Isabelle has never been to Paris. It would be interesting to show her." He was anxious to know how my trip to China was going, and he listened attentively when I told him; but when I tried to get him to talk about myself, I failed.His mouth was so tight that I could only come to one conclusion that he asked me to lunch with him simply because he liked my company.Although I am happy, but, a little confused.After finishing the coffee, he called to open the account.Having paid the bill, he stood up. "Ah, I have to go," he said.

We broke up.I don't know any more about him than I did before.I never saw him again. three I did not return to Paris until the spring of the following year; by that time Madame Bradley and Isabelle had arrived a little earlier than they had planned, and were staying at the Elliot's.There was a gap of several weeks, so I had to use my imagination to recount what happened during this period.Elliott had been very considerate in meeting them personally when they were ashore at Cherbourg.After the customs inspection, the three boarded the train; Elliott waited for the train to start, and then told them, with considerable satisfaction, that he had hired a good maid to attend to them.Mrs. Booth said it was quite unnecessary, because they didn't need a maid, and Elliott was very rude to her.

"Don't be impatient when you arrive, Louisa. You can't see people without a maid, and I hired Antoinette not only for you but for myself. You don't dress well, and I don't either." face." He looked at the clothes they were wearing with a look of disdain. "Of course you need to buy some new clothes. After much deliberation, I think only the Chanel clothing store is the most suitable." "I used to go to Worth's all the time," said Mrs. Boo. She was saying it for nothing, because Elliott paid no attention to it. "I spoke to Chanel face to face, and I made an appointment for you at three o'clock in the afternoon. And hats. Of course, at Loeb."

"I don't want to spend a lot of money, Elliott." "I know. I intend to pay the whole bill. You must save face. Oh, Louisa, I have arranged several parties for you, and told my French friends that Myron was an ambassador; Well, if he'd lived longer, he'd be; it'd make a better impression. I don't think anyone will ask about it, but I'd better give you a heads up." "You're ridiculous, Elliott." "No, I don't. I know the world. I know that the widow of an ambassador is more important than the widow of a commissioner." Isabel was standing at the window as the train pulled into the North Station, when she yelled. "Here comes Larry." As soon as the train stopped, Isabel jumped out and ran to meet Larry.He put his arms around her. "How did he know you were here?" Eliot asked his sister sourly. "Isabel sent him a telegram from the ship." Mrs. Boo kissed Larry affectionately, and Elliott offered him a limp hand to shake.It was ten o'clock in the evening. "Uncle, can Larry come to lunch tomorrow?" cried Isabelle, and she and Larry were arm in arm, with eager faces and twinkling eyes. "I'm honored, but Larry informed me that he doesn't eat lunch." "He'll have it tomorrow, won't he, Larry?" "Yes," he said with a smile. "Then please come tomorrow at one o'clock." He held out his hand again, trying to send him away, but Larry grinned at him cheekily. "I'm going to help with the luggage and call you a car." "My car is waiting and my servant will take care of the luggage," Elliott said calmly. "Excellent. We can go then. I'm going to take you to the gate if there's room in the car." "Yes, send us off, Larry," said Isabel. Together they walked along the platform, Mrs. Boo and Elliott following.Elliott had a cold face, very disapproving. "Quelles mauieres," he said to himself; in a certain situation he felt that speaking French could express his emotions more forcefully. At eleven o'clock the next morning, after Elliott had finished his bath--because he was up late--he wrote a note to his sister, sent by the servant Joseph and the maid Antoinette, asking her to come to the study. Come talk.When Mrs. Bradley came, he closed the door carefully, lit a cigarette in a very long onyx holder, and sat down. "Are Isabel and Larry still engaged?" he asked. "That's all I know." "I have nothing good to say about the young man." Then he told her how he was going to draw Larry into society, and how he planned to make him into it in a proper and decent manner. "I even noticed for him a ground-floor house, which is exactly what he needs. It is the house of the Marquis de Réte, which he is going to sublet because he is sent to the embassy in Madrid." But Larry declined those invitations from Elliott; it was clear from his behavior that he didn't need any help from Elliott. "If you don't want to take advantage of what Paris can give you, I don't know why you come to Paris. I don't know what he does. He doesn't seem to know anybody. You know where he lives." ?" "The only mailing address we know of is the American Travel Agency." "Like a traveling salesman or a schoolteacher on vacation. I'm sure he lives with a dirty woman in a studio in Montmartre." "Nonsense, Elliott." "He makes his residence so mysterious and refuses to associate with people of his identity. What other explanation is there besides this?" "It's not like Larry. And last night, you could tell he still loves Isabel as much as ever. He couldn't possibly do that. " Elliott shrugged his shoulders, meaning to tell his sister that men are full of tricks. "How about Gray Maturin? Still chasing?" "He can marry Isabel as soon as she wants him." Then Mrs. Boo told Elliot why they came to Europe earlier than originally planned.She found that her health was not good, and the doctor told her it was diabetes.The condition is not serious, as long as she eats carefully and takes insulin properly, she has every reason to live for many years. However, after she learned that she has this incurable disease, she is eager to see Isabel's marriage can be resolved.The mother and daughter talked about it.Isabel was sensible enough to agree that if Larry did not return to Chicago as originally agreed and find a job after living in Paris for two years, the only way would be to terminate the contract with him.However, Mrs. Booby felt that it would be demeaning to wait until the appointed time, and then go to Paris to take Larry back to his country like a fugitive.She felt that Isabel would lose face in this way.However, it was natural for the mother and daughter to go to Europe for the summer, and Isabel had been to Paris when she was a child, but never since.After their visit to Paris, they could find a place by the sea for Mrs. Boo to recuperate, and from there to live for a while in the Austrian Tyrol mountains, and then cross Italy at leisure.Mrs. Bu intends to ask Larry to accompany them, and let him and Isabel see if their relationship has changed after such a long separation.Whether Larry was willing to take on the responsibilities of life after this debauchery, he would know in due time. "Henry Maturin was very upset about Larry refusing what he offered him, but Gray made it through with his father, so as soon as he got back to Chicago, he'd have a job right away." "Hi Gray." "Of course," Mrs. Boo sighed. "I know he will make Isabel happy." Elliott then told Mrs. Booth that he had arranged some kind of dinner for them.Tomorrow he's going to have a lot of people for lunch and a big dinner on the weekend.He also wanted to take them to the reception at Chateau Gaillard's house, and get them two invitations to the upcoming ball at Rothschild's house. "Larry, do you always invite me?" "He told me he didn't have a tux," Elliott said dismissively. "Anyway, you take him anyway. The boy is no good, after all. It won't do him any good to ignore him, it will only make Isabel more stubborn." "Of course, I will invite you if you want." Larry came to lunch at the appointed time.Elliott's manners were thoughtful, and he was especially courteous.It wasn't hard to do that, and the reason was that Larry was happy and in good spirits, and only a lot more grumpy than Elliot could dislike him.The conversation was all about Chicago and mutual acquaintances over there, leaving Elliot with nothing to do but put on an air of geniality and pretend interest in what he considered to be of no social status. Do. He didn't care to hear them talk about it; to tell the truth, it made him feel rather pitiful to hear them talk about one young couple getting engaged, that young couple getting married, and another young couple getting divorced.Who ever heard of these people coming?Did he know that the beautiful little Marquise de Cranchamp had committed suicide by taking poison because her lover, Prince de Colombe, had abandoned her and married the daughter of a South American millionaire.This is the kind of thing worth talking about.He looked at Larry and couldn't help admitting that there was something strangely attractive about him; his sunken, strangely dark eyes, high cheekbones, pale skin, and flexible mouth reminded Elliott of Polly A portrait of Ticelli[Note], thinking that if he was dressed in the costumes of that period, he would look full of romance.He remembered trying to win Larry over to a famous Frenchwoman, and smiled slyly at the thought that Marie-Louise de Florimont was invited to dinner on Saturday.This woman is a combination of wide circle of friends and bad morals.She was forty years old, but she looked ten years younger; Natier had painted a portrait of one of her ancestors, which was hung on a large tree in America through Eliot's own connection. in the museum.Marie was born to be as beautiful as her ancestor, and her sexual tastes were so great that she seemed to be insatiable.Elliott decides to let Larry sit next to her.He knew that Mary would quickly make Larry understand her intentions.He also invited a young aide-de-camp from the British embassy, ​​thinking that Isabel might like him.Isabel was beautiful, and the man was an Englishman with great wealth, so it didn't matter that Isabel had no property.When lunch came, with a good Montrasse followed by a good Bordeaux, Eliot drank it to his liking; and he thought at ease about the many possibilities that opened up to him.If things were going as he reckoned, dear Louisa would have nothing to worry about.She's always been a little disapproving of him, poor thing, she's so closed; but he likes her. With a person like him who has seen the world, it is also a satisfactory thing for him to arrange everything for her. In order not to waste time, Elliott arranged to show Louisa and her mother and daughter to see the clothes as soon as lunch was over, so everyone stood up, and Elliott told Larry in his best words that he should go, but, At the same time, he cordially urged him to attend the two grand banquets arranged by him.He didn't have to make such a big deal, because Larry had readily agreed to it all. However, Elliot's plan failed.Elliott was relieved to see Larry in a decent dinner suit when he came to dinner, for he was a little apprehensive that he might come out in blue serge as he had been at lunch. After dinner Elliott took Marie de Florimon into a corner and asked her what she thought of his young American friend. "He has beautiful eyes and good teeth." "Is that all? I let him sit next to you because I think he just happens to be your little snack." She looked at him suspiciously. "He told me he was engaged to your beautiful niece." Voyons, ma chere, [note] A boy's belonging to another woman, that will never prevent you from wresting him from that woman, if you can. " "Is that all you want me to do? Well, I'm not going to do this mean thing for you, my poor Elliott." Elliott laughed. "I guess, what you said means that you tried, but found it unsuccessful." "What I like about you, Elliott, is that you have the manners of a brothel-keeper. You don't want him to want your niece. Why?He is well-bred and very likeable.But he was so pure.I bet he didn't suspect me at all. " "You should be more explicit, my dear friend." "I've had enough experience to know when I'm wasting my time. The truth is, he has eyes only for your little Isabel, and I'm only speaking to you, she's the younger second Ten years old. And people are cute." "Do you like her dress? I picked it out for her myself." "Beautiful and fitting. But of course she's not handsome." Elliott took this as a testament to him, and he couldn't let it go easily, he had to poke her.He smiled kindly. "My dear friend, one has to live to your mature age to be as handsome as you." Madame de Florimont brandished a bludgeon instead of a dagger.Her counterattack made Elliott's Virginia blood boil. "I am sure that in your gang-ridden country (votre beau pays dapaches) they would never miss something so subtle, so inimitable." Notwithstanding Madame de Florimon's pickiness, the rest of Elliott's friends liked Isabel as well as Larry.They liked Isabel's youthful beauty, her health, her energy; they liked Larry's lively appearance, good manners, and lightly sarcastic humor.Both spoke French fluently and accurately, which was a bargain.Because Mrs. Boo has lived in the diplomatic circle for many years, although she speaks French correctly, she has an American accent, and she doesn't care about it.Eliot was a feast for them.Isabelle was delighted with her new dress and hat, and was amused by all the pleasures Elliott had arranged, and as happy with Larry as she thought she had never been.