English
Heengagedtheroom,payingforaweekinadvance.Hewastired,hesaid,andwouldtakepossessionatonce.Hecountedoutthemoney.
Theroomhadbeenmadeready,shesaid,eventotowelsandwater.
Asthehousekeepermovedawayheput,forthethousandthtime,thequestionthathecarriedattheendofhistongue.
"Ayounggirl--MissVashner--MissEloiseVashner--doyouremembersuchaoneamongyourlodgers?
Shewouldbesingingonthestage,mostlikely.Afairgirl,ofmediumheightandslender,withreddish,goldhairandadarkmolenearherlefteyebrow."
"No,Idon'trememberthename.Themstagepeoplehasnamestheychangeasoftenastheirrooms.Theycomesandtheygoes.No,Idon'tcallthatonetomind."
No.Alwaysno.Fivemonthsofceaselessinterrogationandtheinevitablenegative.
Somuchtimespentbydayinquestioningmanagers,agents,schoolsandchoruses;bynightamongtheaudiencesoftheatresfromall-starcastsdowntomusichallssolowthathedreadedtofindwhathemosthopedfor.
Hewhohadlovedherbesthadtriedtofindher.
Hewassurethatsinceherdisappearancefromhomethisgreat,water-girtcityheldhersomewhere,butitwaslikeamonstrousquicksand,shiftingitsparticlesconstantly,withnofoundation,itsuppergranulesofto-dayburiedto-morrowinoozeandslime.
Thefurnishedroomreceiveditslatestguestwithafirstglowofpseudo-hospitality,ahectic,haggard,perfunctorywelcomelikethespecioussmileofademirep.
Thesophisticalcomfortcameinreflectedgleamsfromthedecayedfurniture,
theraggcdbrocadeupholsteryofacouchandtwochairs,afootwidecheappierglassbetweenthetwowindows,fromoneortwogiltpictureframesandabrassbedsteadinacorner.
Theguestreclined,inert,uponachair,whiletheroom,confusedinspeechasthoughitwereanapartmentinBabel,triedtodiscoursetohimofitsdiverstenantry.
Apolychromaticruglikesomebrilliant-floweredrectangular,tropicalisletlaysurroundedbyabillowyseaofsoiledmatting.
Uponthegay-paperedwallwerethosepicturesthatpursuethehomelessonefromhousetohouse--TheHuguenotLovers,TheFirstQuarrel,TheWeddingBreakfast,PsycheattheFountain.
Themantel'schastelysevereoutlinewasingloriouslyveiledbehindsomepertdraperydrawnrakishlyaskewlikethesashesoftheAmazonianballet.
Uponitwassomedesolateflotsamcastasidebytheroom'smaroonedwhenaluckysailhadbornethemtoafreshport--atriflingvaseortwo,picturesofactresses,amedicinebottle,somestraycardsoutofadeck.
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