Девять рассказов
De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period
IalsoenclosedwhatIthoughtwasaverycasualnotethatonlyjustbegantotelltherichlyhumanlittlestoryofhow,quitealoneandvariouslyhandicapped,inthepurestromantictradition,Ihadreachedthecold,white,isolatingsummitsofmyprofession.
Thenextfewdayswerehorriblysuspenseful,butbeforetheweekwasout,alettercamefromM.YoshotoacceptingmeasaninstructoratLesAmisDesVieuxMaitres.TheletterwaswritteninEnglish,eventhoughIhadwritteninFrench.(IlatergatheredthatM.Yoshoto,whoknewFrenchbutnotEnglish,had,forsomereason,assignedthewritingofthelettertoMme.Yoshoto,whohadsomeworkingknowledgeofEnglish.)M.Yoshotosaidthatthesummersessionwouldprobablybethebusiestsessionoftheyear,andthatitstartedon24June.Thisgavemealmostfiveweeks,hepointedout,tosettlemyaffairs.Heofferedmehisunlimitedsympathyfor,ineffect,myrecentemotionalandfinancialsetbacks.HehopedthatIwouldarrangemyselftoreportatLesAmisDesVieuxMaitresonSunday,23June,inordertolearnofmydutiesandtobecome"firmfriends"withtheotherinstructors(who,Ilaterlearned,weretwoinnumber,andconsistedofM.YoshotoandMme.Yoshoto).Hedeeplyregrettedthatitwasnottheschool’spolicytoadvancetransportationfaretonewinstructors.
