"On Main Street. The Spauldings were buying tickets for a show. And there, all of a sudden, in the crowd, was Lavinia. Must have been quite a scene. She didn‘t know them first off. They followed her half down a street and spoke to her. Then she remembered."
"Did you see her?"
"No, but I heard her singing. Remember how she used to sing ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’? I heard her trilling out for her father a while ago over there in their house. It was good to hear; her such a beautiful girl. A shame, I thought, her dead; and now with her back again it‘s fine. Here now, you look weak yourself. Better come in for a spot of whisky..."
"Thanks, no, Mike." The old man moved away. He heard Mike say good night and did not answer, but fixed his eyes upon the two-storey building where rambling clusters of crimson Martian flowers lay upon the high crystal roof. Around back, above the garden, was a twisted iron balcony, and the windows above were lighted. It was very late, and still he thought to himself: What will happen to Anna if I don‘t bring Tom home with me? This second shock, this second death, what will it do to her? Will she remember the first death, too, and this dream, and the sudden vanishing? Oh God, I’ve got to find Tom, or what will come of Anna? Poor Anna, waiting there at the landing. He paused and lifted his head. Somewhere above, voices bade other soft voices good night, doors turned and shut, lights dimmed, and a gentle singing continued. A moment later a girl no more than eighteen, very lovely, came out upon the balcony.
LaFarge called up through the wind that was blowing.
The girl turned and looked down. "Who‘s there?" she cried.
"It‘s me," said the old man, and realizing this reply to be silly and strange, fell silent, his lips working. Should he call out, "Tom, my son, this is your father?" How to speak to her? She would think him quite insane and summon her parents.