The Well of Loneliness

Stephen and Puddle arrive in Paris for their vacation and are quickly met by Jonathan Brockett. He takes them out to lunch and tells Stephen she must “have an affair with Paris” (216). He asks if she is “capable of falling in love,” and she gives him a vague answer that he assumes is because of Puddle’s presence (216). Before they leave, he is rude to the waiters, who have been kind to him throughout the meal, because he was overcharged. He demands they fix the problem, causing Stephen to “sigh.” He sees nothing wrong with his request that they adjust the bill, but he leaves “a very large tip” to balance out his behavior a bit (217).

Brockett proves to be an excellent guide of Paris, bringing the city to life. At the end of the day, Stephen feels both a “dislike” for Brockett and a gratitude for his ability to have “stirred her imagination” (218). Brockett desperately wants to know Stephen’s secret. He believes she is “abnormal” but can’t understand how and thus he contrives to “keep her in Paris” (219). This is a rather easy task because, although Stephen sometimes misses England, Stephen and Puddle consider Brockett to be a “a welcome distraction” (219).