had coffee from the stove pot in the afternoon, and tea from a brown pot only when they were ill. She thought of a painting Clem had made of his mother's kitchen table set for afternoon coffee. How would that look if shown in New York? How far away Congress seemed in this world.
A handsome slender blond young man came from another room as though he lived here and greeted Lucy as a friend.
"Vida, this is Hamilton Pierce. Hal, this is Vida Bertrand, my best friend."
How many attractive men Lucy knew, Vida marveled.
"Hal is a wonderful harpist," Lucy said.
"Who, if he practices," Figente added with a chiding but affectionate glance, "may be another Salzedo. I hope you will hear him—" this, an aside to Vida, "when he plays at an International Composers Guild concert, perhaps next spring. Those concerts always arouse considerable fracas at which the music is rarely heard."
"Then why should I play?" Hal asked petulantly.
"Because it pleases me to fertilize virgin soil." Turning to Vida, he said, "Remember that, Boswell."
Was he serious, asking her to remember such nonsense? "Don't worry, I have a photographic mind which remembers anything," she said, gratified by his irritated expression to see he was taken aback when she stressed anything. Two could play at the game of being contemptuous. But later, when he seemed to avoid her, she regretted the flippancy; obviously she wouldn't be invited again. Lucy had said he was touchy about other people's manners but you must never question his.
"When are they coming, Ray? Will Ranna bring his own accompanist, or am I to play for him?" Hal asked.
"What's all this?" questioned Lucy.
"I have a surprise for you, my dear. Susan Custerd is bringing her proteg6 Ranna, a Hindu dancer who has had a simply enormous success in Paris and London, to dance for me. I've asked Damon and Mary Doyle to come in too."
"That's Damon St. John, the famous stage designer, and Mary Doyle's husband is Kevin Doyle, who's a big book critic," Lucy said, bringing Vida up to date.
"It's a pity Kevin isn't coming. He and Boswell must meet," Figente said.
Lucy burst out laughing. "He'd scare her." This required explanation to Vida. "He has quite a reputation for going after the girls."
