On a problem of Angelo Bella

The main result of this note is the following theorem. "If $X$ is any Hausdorff space with $\kappa = \widehat{F}(X) \cdot \widehat{\mu}(X)$ then $L(X_{< \kappa}) \le \varrho(\kappa)$". Here $\widehat{F}(X)$ is the smallest cardinal $\varphi$ so that $|S| < \varphi$ for any set $S$ that is free in $X$ and $\widehat{\mu}(X)$ is the smallest cardinal $\mu$ so that, for every set $S$ that is free in $X$, any open cover of $\overline {S}$ has a subcover of size $< \mu$. Moreover, $X_{< \kappa}$ is the $G_{< \kappa}$-modification of $X$ and $\varrho(\kappa) = \min \{\varrho : \varrho ^{< \kappa} = \varrho\}$. As a corollary we obtain that if $X$ is a linearly Lindel\"of regular space of countable tightness then $L(X_\delta) \le \mathfrak{c}$, provided that $\mathfrak{c} = 2^{< \mathfrak{c}}$. This yields a consistent affirmative answer to a question of Angelo Bella.