Olga Rudge & Ezra Pound: "What Thou Lovest Well..."

102 The Breaking Point
because E. had forgotten. . . . E. returned in the afternoon and corrected
more proofs, wandered around naked from his bath while I got tea . . . in
very good form, beautiful to see.’’
A discussion started when Ezra recalled their decision to have a child:
‘‘At first, the idea of having a child was as repugnant to him as having a
chow [dog] or any other animal,’’ Olga wrote, ‘‘but he feels di√erently
about it now, he doesn’t regret it. . . . E. only admits a line of conduct—
ethics—for himself, not . . . for everybody. His system [is] that of a
scientific investigator who experiments in every possible manner until the
experiment is perfect.’’ He admitted that from ‘‘five to sixteen, he was very
sensitive, then he made himself a shell, so things do not hurt him now.’’
The diary ended with their long-talked-of walk to Monte Allegro: ‘‘E.
very gay, a large lunch and mezza bottiglia di chianti . . . came down hill
singing the drinking song, as it should be sung, from the Villon.’’
After this idyllic interlude, Olga returned to Paris.