eunderthemoon.
Itwasarrangedwithouttheknowledgeofeitherofthem.OnenightLowasoutonaboatwithWen&mdashMissChouwasnowmarriedandnotseeingthemanymore.Somepeopleshoutedatthemfromanotherboat.Itwasacoupletheyusedtoknow.MissFanwaswiththem.
Whenthetwoboatsdrewnear,Wensteppedovertotheotherboat,urgingLotocomewithhim.LofoundhimselfsittingacrossthesmalltablefromMissFan.Theteainthecupsshonefaintly,ineachcupafloatingsilverdiskswayingslightlywiththemovementoftheboat.Herfaceandwhit-cladshoulderswereblue-rimmedwithmoonlight.Itstunnedhimhowshecouldlookjustthesamewhensomuchhadhappened.
Theywentthroughtheamenitiesasiftherewerenothingamiss,butwithoutdirectlyaddressingasingleremarktoeachother.NoreferencewasmadetoLo&rsquosnewmarriage.Thetalkwasmostlyaboutthegovernment-sponsoredWestLakeExhibitionanditsuglymemorialthatdominatedthevistaalongthebank.
&ldquoIt&rsquosaneyesore.Spoilseverything,&rdquoLosaid.&ldquoItwillneverbethesameagain.&rdquo
Hereyesmethis,waveredalittle,andlookedaway.
Aftergoingroundthelaketheylandedandseparated.Thedayafter,LoreceivedaletteraddressedtohiminMissFan&rsquoshandwriting.Hetoreitopen,hisheartpounding,andfoundasheetofblankpaperinside.Heknewinstantlywhatshemeant.Shehadwantedtowritehimbutwhatcouldshesay?
Soonitwasnosecretamongtheirfriendsthattheywereagainseeingalotofeachother.Loagainstarteddivorceproceedings.Thistimehehadveryfewsympathizers.Henowlikedlikeascoundrelwherehehadoncebeenapioneer.Itwasanotherlongstruggle.OnherpartMissFanwasalsoengagedinastruggle.Herswasagainsttheforcesoftheyears,againstmen&rsquosverynaturewhichtiressoeasily.AndinherstruggleshehadnobodytostandbyhersideasshestoodbyLo.Sheremainedquietlypretty.Hercoiffureandclothesweremaster-piecesofsubtlecompromisebetweenfashionandmemory.Heneverwantedhertolikeanydifferentfromthewayshedidwhenhehadfirstknownher.Yethewouldhavebeendistressedifithadsuddenlyoccurredtohimthatshelookeddat