quot;I just o ;
quot;Papa Ferris is dead?quot;
quot;Yes, at Jo;
quot;Oe people.quot;
ttle boy moved from be o ;;
Ferris o apprestretced silk o Elizabeths calm voice.
quot;Mr. Ferris fat kno;
quot;But w;
Bailey and Elizabetrapped look. It ime ago,quot; ;your motime ago.quot;
quot;Mr. Ferris?quot;
ttle boy stared at Ferris, amazed and unbelieving. And Ferris eyes, as urned too. as it indeed true t at one time ranger, Elizabettle Butterduck during nig togets and -- finally -- endured in tude truction of the fabric of married love.
Bailey said to t;Its somebodys supper-time. Come on no;
quot;But Daddy! Mama and Mr. Ferris -- I --quot;
Billys everlasting eyes -- perplexed and ility -- reminded Ferris of t tle face and knobby knees w.
quot;Quick marc; Bailey gently turned Billy to;Say good nig;
quot;Good nig; fully, quot;I t I aying up for t;
quot;You can come in after; Elizabet;Run along no;
Ferris and Elizabet of tuation descended on t moments of silence. Ferris asked permission to pour tail sable at ticed the rack.
quot;Do you still play as beautifully as you used to?quot;
quot;I still enjoy it.quot;
quot;Please play, Elizabet;
Elizabetely. o perform wies; she added readiness of relief.
S as a prism in a morning room. t voice of t pure and solitary, ed intermingling ed ed frame, tiple music, al and serene, floy. tless ingenuities -- no, again submerged, it y of a single t does not fear surrender to toy of terial gat enricence on t first motif and atement ted he hall.
quot;Daddy, ; A door was closed.
t in . No spoke to ime, anot o play. te air summoned a in t of past longings, conflicts, ambivalent desires. Strange t talyst for tumultuous anarche maid.
quot;Miz Bailey, dinner is out on table no;
Even after Ferris ed at table betill overcast tle drunk.
quot;Limprovisation de la vie ; ;t makes you so aion of ence as a song unfinis;
quot;Address book?quot; repeated Bailey. topped, noncommittal and polite.
quot;Youre still t; Elizabetrace of tenderness.
It evening, and tes. t potatoes. During t alive a conversation t Ferris o speak of Jeannine.
quot;I first kne autumn -- about time of taly. S in Rome. I expect ;
true, inevitable, t Ferris did not at first acknoo year spoken of marriage. And indeed, sill married -- to a e Russian moneyced for five years. But it oo late to correct t;to knoulations, Jo;
ried to make amends rut;tumn is so beautiful. Balmy and blossoming.quot; ;Jeannine tle boy of six. A curious trilingual little felloo tuileries sometimes.quot;
A lie again. aken to ts t bared in te pond and ridden ted to go in to t s t time, for Ferris at tel. o ternoon. Only once aken Valentin to tuileries.
tir. t in a ed cake ered in t clotill did not understand.
quot;; Elizabet;Blo t;
Ferris recognized e. t lingeringly and ty-eigemples darkened and pulsed visibly.
quot;Its time you started for ter.quot;
Ferris te good-byes. to the door.
A reets turnal city e attentiveness of departure and pertime and the coming journey.
t day y from t, toylike, precise. t belantic and tant European s of to of Elizabetle envy and inexplicable regret. t ed tones, remained; tself evaded ead t voice of t Elizabet came to ed mockingly and in a minor key. Suspended above ties of transience and solitude no longer troubled of y. During the shore of France.
At midnigaxi crossing Paris. It s of t bistros gleamed on t pavements. As aler a transocean fliginents oo sudden. Ne morning, t Paris. Ferris glimpsed ties, of transitory loves; and time, ter glissando of time always.
quot;Vite! Vite!quot; error. quot;Dépêc;
Valentin opened to tle boy gro, tarily.
quot;Jattends Maman.quot;
Jeannine urned to a drating t es and rip balloon.
quot;e o tuileries.quot;
to Elizabeto , ttisoned -- time bringing only recognition and sudden joy.
quot;Monsieur Jean,quot; t;did you see ;
Confused, Ferris t only of anot;See ;
quot;Your dead papa in Georgia.quot; t;as ;
Ferris spoke ;e en to tuileries. Ride to t s;
quot;Monsieur Jean,quot; Valentin said. quot;t;
Again, terror t of ed years and deatin, responsive and confident, still nestled in ouc c te eyelasion ion as protean as e time.