"What on earth have I ever done to you except treat you with every
courtesy? Except that one day when you had the baby in your arms and I
was rude, but apologized, and that one other time when I kissed you, and
God knows I was sorry enough afterwards and have regretted it ever
since. What _is_ the reason of your attitude; it is absolutely unfair?"
This seemed to upset her considerably. She hated the idea that she was
thought unfair. It may have made her realize too that she _had_ a
definite sense of injury. She lost her temper, she stamped her scrap of
a foot.
"I hate you!" she burst out. "You and your bargain! I wish I was dead!"
and then she sank into the sofa and covered her face with her hands, and
by the shaking of her shoulders, I saw that she was crying!
If I had been cool enough to think then, I suppose I could have reasoned
that all this was probably most flattering to me, and an extra proof of
her state of mind, but the agitation it had plunged me into made me
unable to balance things, and I too allowed my temper to get the better
of me, and I got up as best I could and seizing my crutch, I walked
towards my bedroom door.
"I shall expect an apology," was all I said, and went in and left her
alone.
If we are to go on fighting like this, life won't be worth living!
I tried to calm myself and went in the window, but the servants came
into the room to make the bed, so I was forced to go back again to the
sitting-room. Alathea had gone into the little salon, I suppose, because
for the same reason, she could not have returned to her room. I sat down
in my chair quite exhausted. I did not feel like reading or doing
anything.
It was to-day that we were to go to the Duchesse's in the afternoon for
Alathea to be presented to our friends as my wife! I wondered if she
had forgotten this!
After an hour Burton came in with the second post.
"You do look badly, Sir Nicholas!" he said. His face was perplexed and
troubled. "Can I get you anything?"
"Where is Her Ladyship, Burton?"
Then he told me that she had gone out. I could see he wanted to say
something. His remarks are generally valuable.
"Out with it, Burton."
"I do think it is Mam'zelle that's causing all the trouble. As bad luck
would have it, as I opened the door to let Her Ladyship out, who should
come up the stairs a moment after but Mam'zelle! They must have passed
on the floor below. Neither had taken the lift, which as you know, Sir
Nicholas, is out of order again, since last night."
"Then she thinks Suzette has come in here to see me Burton. By Jove what
a devilish complication! I think we had better move from the flat as
quickly as we can."
"It seems as if it would be advisable, Sir Nicholas."
"Can you suggest anything, Burton? I really am quite knocked over
to-day."
"Her Ladyship don't chat to servants like some ladies, or I could easily
let her maid know that Mam'zelle don't visit here, so that won't do," he
mused. "You could not tell her yourself straight out. Sir Nicholas,
could you?"
"It would be difficult, because it presupposes I think she minds about
it, and for me to let her know that would insult her more than
anything."
"Beg pardon, Sir Nicholas, but there was a young woman some twenty years
ago, who had a temper like, and I always found it was best just to make
a fuss of her, and not do no reasoning. That is what they wants, Sir
Nicholas, indeed it is. I've watched them in all classes for a matter of
many years. You can get what you want of them if you only make a fuss of
them."
"What does 'to make a fuss of' exactly mean Burton?"
"Well, it is not for me to tell you Sir, knowing ladies as you do, but
it is just kissing and fondling them, and them things, makin' them feel
that they're just everything,--even reasonable, Sir Nicholas."
Burton's dryly humorous face delighted me. His advice was first class,
too!
"I'll think it over," I told him, and he left me alone.
That would be one way of winning or losing everything certainly! But it
would also be breaking my word, and I don't believe I could do that.
Alathea came in in time for luncheon. Her face was set in a mutinous
obstinate mould. We went into the dining-room immediately, and so there
was no chance of conversation. I noticed that she wore no bracelets or
rings, nothing of mine, not even the wedding ring.
We were icy to each other during the meal, and made conversation, and
when we were alone with the coffee I just said:
"I hope that you have not forgotten that at four o'clock we are to go to
the Duchesse's to meet the friends that she thinks it is suitable for
you to know."
Alathea started. I could see she had not registered this fact for this
date.
"I would rather not go," she said resentfully.
"I daresay you would. So would I, but we owe the Duchesse gratitude for
all her kindness to us, and I fear we must."
We did not speak further. I could not talk until she apologized, and I
rose to go out of the room. She gave me my crutch. Her not apologizing
made me burn with resentment.
I had not been in the salon a minute, however, before she came in, her
face crimson. She stood in front of me.
"I apologize for showing my temper this morning. Would it not do after
to-day if I just lived out somewhere, and came in and worked as before?
It is a perfect farce that I live here, and wear a wedding ring, even
the servants must be laughing at me."
"I notice you do not wear a wedding ring. Your whole attitude is
perfectly impossible, and I demand an explanation. What is the reason of
it? We made a bargain, and you are not keeping it."
"If you will give me time to work, I will pay you back the fifty
thousand francs, and the clothes and jewels I can leave behind me--I
want to go."
She spoke with a break in her voice now.
"Why do you want to go suddenly, there is nothing different to-day to
yesterday or any other day? I refuse to be the puppet of your caprices."
She stood clasping and unclasping her hands, never looking at me.
"Alathea," I said sternly, "look me straight in the face and tell me the
truth. _What_ is your reason."
"I can't" still her eyes were down.
"Is there someone else?" My voice sounded fierce to my own ears. I had a
sudden fear.
"But you said it would not matter if there was someone else--if I told
you," she answered defiantly.
"There is someone else then?" I tried to be casual. "Look at me."
Slowly she raised her eyes until they met my one.
"No, there is no one.--I just don't want to live here, in this flat any
longer."
"Unless you can give me some definite reason for this extraordinary
behaviour on your part, I am afraid I must refuse to discuss the
situation, and meanwhile will you please go to your room and fetch the
rings and bracelets."
She turned and left without a word--I daresay she wondered what I was
going to do with them.
She brought them back.
"Come here close."
She came rebelliously.
"Give me your hand."
"I won't."
"Alathea, I will seize it, crippled as I am, and make you obey me by
force if you will not for asking."
Her whole face expressed furious resentment, but she is too sensible and
level headed to make a scene, so she gave me her hand. I put the wedding
ring back, and the big diamond one.
"Now you will wear them until you convince me of your reason so
thoroughly that I myself take them off, the bracelets you can do as you
like about--throw them away, or give them to your maid. And this
afternoon I hope I can count upon your instincts of being a lady to make
you behave so that no one can chatter about us."
She drew away her hand, as though my touch burnt her. Her expression was
contemptuously haughty.
"Of course you can count upon me for this afternoon," and she turned and
went out of the room again.
And now I am waiting for her to come back dressed for the Duchesse's
reception, it is ten minutes to four o'clock. The volcano upon which we
are living cannot go on simmering much longer, there is bound to be an
explosion soon!
* * * * *
_Later:_
Things are developing! My bride and I never spoke a word on the way to
the Hotel de Courville. She was looking the most desirable morsel a man
could wish to present to his friends. The sable cloak and the most
perfect frock and hat. Her maid is evidently a splendid hairdresser. She
was "of a _chic_," as Maurice afterwards told me.
I had telephoned and broken the news to him while I was waiting for
Alathea to come. He was not surprised, he pretended, and now that the
marriage is an accomplished fact, he is too well bred not to fall into
the attitude of delight about it. Maurice has no intention of dropping
me--married or single!
Thus when we arrived, and went up in the lift to the sitting-room, we
found him among the first to greet us.
The Duchesse kissed us both fondly, and said many pleasant things, and
having placed me in a suitable chair, brought everyone to me, and
presented Alathea to them all.
They were the very _crême de la crême_ of the Faubourg who could be
collected in Paris--many are still in the country. Coralie was there,
with two resentful pinpoints in her clever little eyes, but the most
gracious words on her lips.
They none of them could find fault with the appearance of my wife--nor
her manner. She has the ways of the _ancien régime_ like the Duchesse.
I could see that she was having a huge success.
While everything seemed to be going beautifully and all the company had
gone on into another small anti-room where the "_goûter_" was, my dear
old friend came to me.
"It is not progressing Nicholas--_Hein_?"
"There is some screw very loose, Duchesse. She absolutely hates me and
wants to go and live out of the flat!"
"_Tiens_!--She is jealous of some one. Nicholas, it is not possible that
you have still--?"