23 Jul 1921

23 July 1921

Chalet des Sapins, Montana-sur-Sierre, Switzerland

Montana 23.vii.1921. "Hat With a Feather." 
     The New Baby.
At half past ten the yacht steamed into the Sound, slowed down. "Hullo!" said someone, "we've stopped!" For a moment, and it seemed like a long moment, everybody was silent. The crying of little waves sounded from the distant beach; the soft moist breath of the night wind came flowing over the dark sea. And looking up at the sky one fancied that even the bright-burning moon had stopped too and was waiting to see what was going to happen ...
    Then "Come on, girls" cried the genial old mayor. And Gertrude Pratt began to bang out The Honeysuckle and the Bee on the squat, tinny little piano. As they had sung the same song every night for the last three weeks the noise was considerable, but very pleasant. It was a strange relief after the long day to lie on deck and to put one's whole heart into
    "I love you dearly dearly and I
     Want you to love me!"
You couldn't say these things and yet you felt them. At least - the ladies did. Not for anybody in particular but for everybody It really seemed that ever since they came on board they had been haunted by love: there was no escaping from it. It was all very well to pretend to be interested in other things, to look through the glasses, to ask the Captain intelligent questions as you stood on the bridge

[KM Notebooks.]