tILIGains and arcreets, ty of blossoms and age-soft stone. Sometimes in tel. Sometimes, also, in a fallo ing da he yearless region of dreams.

    Joel.  somet ing  it inal necessities, lingered even after airs. It umn day and t sliced betel skyscrapers. Ferris  into t-door drugstore and sat at t to t overlooked t h scrambled eggs and sausage.

    Ferris o aken place toemples  and  for an incipient belly bulge. Ferris raordinarily close -- but tion; ted for a long time,  ayed as long as possible to be near  o leave t morning.

    Ferris pulled out o verify a number. urned ttentiveness. Names and addresses from Neals of Europe, a fe ones from ate in ted names, spraty ills: a random love, married no, un.O. in television, getting ric ter tarium no s range to t soo, silly girl, could die. As Ferris closed transience, almost of fear.

    It  aring out of te close to  understand t, nor t lingered after she was gone.

    Quickly Ferris paid  to tood on ting to cross Fifto ts creet before aken  ably. c once  Elizabet;beautiful carriage.quot; Surned at t corner and Ferris folloention to overtake ioned turbance t t of Elizabet-strokes.

    It  first, after t destroyed er time, ainly . So  umn day. Ferris  running, o tel.

    Ferris poured   yet eleven oclock.  in an armced, nursing er.  morning for Paris. ions: take luggage to Air France, lunc. And somet telepory.

    o call ime for self-debate.  Cmastime, and Ferris  a carving set o call. But as ed, listening to t tted him.

    Elizabeto

    day. ter engagement, s sed.

    As  from one engagement to anotill bot odd moments by t sometten. Ferris bate afternoon, often t Jeannine:  quot;Jeannine,quot; ;I o run into my ex-range seeing er all t;

    Elizabet Fifties, and as Ferris taxied uptoersections t, but by time ination it umn dark. tment h floor.

    quot;Come in, Mr. Ferris.quot;

    Braced for Elizabetonis o acknoep back awkwardly.

    quot;tment,quot; tely. quot;Arent you Mr. Ferris? Im Billy. Come in.quot;

    In too  been acknoionally. Bailey was a lumbering red-e manner. ended a welcoming hand.

    quot;Im Bill Bailey. Glad to see you. Elizabete. S;

    t ruck a gliding series of vibrations, memories of table, brusnut , casual intimacy, t-flesably possessed. Ferris so meet Bill Baileys gaze.

    quot;Billy,  tray of drinks from tcable?

    tly, and ;Fine boy you ;

    quot;e t;

    Flat silence until turned ray of glasses and a cocktail sinis. ition: Russia, tment situation in Mantan and Paris.

    quot;Mr. Ferris is flying all tomorro; Bailey said to ttle boy  you o be a sto;

    Billy pus;I  to fly in an airplane and be a ne; ;ts o do w;

    Bailey said, quot;I t you ed to be a doctor.quot;

    quot;I do!quot; said Billy. quot;I o be bot to be a atom-bomb scientist too.quot;

    Elizabeth came in carrying in her arms a baby girl.

    quot;O; stled t;Its grand to see you. Im a;

    ttle girl sat demurely on Baileys knees. Scying back  curls. anned and ook t . quot;;

    Elizabetiful, more beautiful perraiger, glo  on the family ambiance.

    quot;Youve  all,quot; Elizabet;but it ime.quot;

    quot;Eig; oucies were exchanged.

    Ferris felt ator -- an interloper among tary, a fragile column supporting not t  bear muco stay in the family room.

    c;Youre going to ter?quot;

    quot;Its a s; Elizabet;but  surely, Joaying  going to be an expatriate, are you?quot;

    quot;Expatriate,quot; Ferris repeated. quot;I dont muc;

    quot;s a better ; she asked.

    for a moment. quot;Sojourner mig;

    Ferris glanced again at c;If only ;