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Experiments in Convalescence
Purposelyhecalledupintohismindlittleincidentsofthevanishedspring,phrasedtohimselfemotionsthatwouldmakehimreactevenmorestronglytosorrow.
"Weweresohappy,"heintoneddramatically,"soveryhappy."Thenhegavewayagainandkneltbesidethebed,hisheadhalf-buriedinthepillow.
"Myowngirl—myown—Oh—"
Heclinchedhisteethsothatthetearsstreamedinafloodfromhiseyes.
"Oh...mybabygirl,allIhad,allIwanted!...Oh,mygirl,comeback,comeback!Ineedyou...needyou...we’resopitiful...justmiserywebroughteachother....She’llbeshutawayfromme....Ican’tseeher;Ican’tbeherfriend.It’sgottobethatway—it’sgottobe—"
Andthenagain:
"We’vebeensohappy,soveryhappy...."
Herosetohisfeetandthrewhimselfonthebedinanecstasyofsentiment,andthenlayexhaustedwhileherealizedslowlythathehadbeenverydrunkthenightbefore,andthathisheadwasspinningagainwildly.Helaughed,rose,andcrossedagaintoLethe....
AtnoonheranintoacrowdintheBiltmorebar,andtheriotbeganagain.HehadavaguerecollectionafterwardofdiscussingFrenchpoetrywithaBritishofficerwhowasintroducedtohimas"CaptainCorn,ofhisMajesty’sFoot,"andherememberedattemptingtorecite"ClairdeLune"atluncheon;thenhesleptinabig,softchairuntilalmostfiveo’clockwhenanothercrowdfoundandwokehim;therefollowedanalcoholicdressingofseveraltemperamentsfortheordealofdinner.
