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even the exchange existed no longer. At length his quest roved into
the country, and he held brief disappointing conversations with
emphatic butlers and maids. So-and-so was out, riding, swimming,
playing golf, sailed to Europe last week. Who shall I say phoned?
It was intolerable that he should pass the evening alone – the
private reckonings which one plans for a moment of leisure lose
every charm when the solitude is enforced. There were always
women of a sort, but the ones he knew had temporarily vanished, and
to pass a New York evening in the hired company of a stranger never
occurred to him – he would have considered that that was something
shameful and secret, the diversion of a traveling salesman in a strange
town.
Anson paid the telephone bill – the girl tried unsuccessfully to
joke with him about its size – and for the second time that afternoon
started to leave the Plaza and go he knew not where. Near the
revolving door the figure of a woman, obviously with child, stood
sideways to the light – a sheer beige cape fluttered at her shoulders
when the door turned and, each time, she looked impatiently toward it
as if she were weary of waiting. At the first sight of her a strong
nervous thrill of familiarity went over him, but not until he was
within five feet of her did he realize that it was Paula.
"Why, Anson Hunter!"
His heart turned over.
"Why, Paula-"
"Why, this is wonderful. I can't believe it, Anson!"
She took both his hands, and he saw in the freedom of the
gesture that the memory of him had lost poignancy to her. But not to
him – he felt that old mood that she evoked in him stealing over his
brain, that gentleness with which he had always met her optimism as
if afraid to mar its surface.
"We're at Rye for the summer. Pete had to come East on
business – you know of course I'm Mrs. Peter Hagerty now - so we
brought the children and took a house. You've got to come out and
see us."
"Can I?" he asked directly. "When?"
"When you like. Here's Pete." The revolving door functioned,
giving up a fine tall man of thirty with a tanned face and a trim
moustache. His immaculate fitness made a sharp contrast with