Even then
she refused to despair. It would be an utterly impossible end to such a
story...after twelve years...not for a moment would she accept that.
III
She applied for her discharge. During her long stay in the British service
she had made influential friends. She had also made a high record not only
for ability but for an untiring fidelity. Her vacations had been few and
brief. She obtained her discharge and went to Paris. Her pride would permit
her to telephone. What more natural? Nothing would have surprised him more
than if she had not. She had little doubt of his falling into the habit of
daily companionship. He knew Paris and she did not. He would have seen her
daily in London if she had been free.
Something, no doubt of that, held him back. He was discouraged...or not
sure of himself....She had assumed as a matter of course that he was at the
Ritz. When she found that he was not, had not been, she realized that he
had omitted to give her an address.
That might have been mere carelessness....But to find him in Paris! She had
not visualized such swarms of people. She might almost have passed him on
the street and not seen him. But not for a moment did she waver from her
purpose. She held passionately to the belief that were they together day
after day, hours on end....
Unbelievable.
IV
She had telephoned an hour ago to the hotel where he was staying with other
members of the British Commission and been told that he was out of town,
but might return any moment.
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