Quote Distribution over Book

84

Book Section (20-page chunks)

"Don't be so absurd, Rachael, half the men in our set drink as much as Clarence does. Don't jump from the frying-pan into the fire. Remember Elsie Rowland and Marian Cowles when you talk so lightly of divorce!"

"Rachael, you lazy woman!" said Florence Haviland lightly

"Do you realize that it's almost eleven o'clock?"

"I started the girlies off to eight o'clock service," she said capably.

"Fraulien went with them, and that leaves the maids free to go when they please."

"Gardner begged off this morning, he's been so good about going lately that I couldn't very well refuse, so I started early and have just dropped him at the club."

"No, he couldn't. Mr. Payne of the London branch was here you know, and Gardner's been terribly tied. He left yesterday, thank goodness. Clarence went of course? Oh, dear, dear, dear!"

"Is he very bad?" she asked reluctantly.

"It's disgraceful!" Mrs. Haviland said

"However, my dear, Clarence isn't the only one! They say Fred Bowditch is actually"

"violent; and poor Lucy Pickering needed a rest cure the moment she got her divorce, she was in such a nervous state. I'm not defending Clarence -- "

"Well, I -- "

"I hope I don't have to defend your own husband to you, Rachael," she said

"My dear," she said impressively, "of course it's hard for you; we all know that. But just at this time, Rachael, it would be absolutely FATAL to have any open break with Clarence -- "

"You do? Oh, you DON'T?" Mrs. Haviland questioned

"No, of course you don't. He's not himself now, for several reasons. For one -- and that's what I specially came to speak to you about -- for one thing, he's terribly worried about Carol. Carol," repeated Mrs. Haviland significantly, "and Joe Pickering."

"Is Carol here?" her aunt asked delicately.

"Do you realize," Mrs. Haviland said, "that everyone is beginning to talk?"

"SOMETHING must be done," said the other woman firmly.

"Well -- by Clarence, I suppose," Mrs. Haviland suggested discontentedly.

"Well, I suppose he can't do anything just now, anyway," his sister conceded ruefully.

"Well, I suppose of course you have," Mrs. Haviland said

"But my dear, it's dreadful! People are beginning to ask questions; a reporter -- we don't know who he was -- telephoned Gardner. Of course Gardner hung up -- "

"A great many of them won't! The church is going to take a stand in the matter. The bishops are considering a canon. ..."

"Never!" said Florence Haviland, with some heat, "DON'T!"

"I believe he would," she said

"Oh, Rachael, DON'T use such words!" said the church woman.

"Father Graves was saying only the other day that one's speech should be 'yea, yea' and -- "

"Impersonal! Uplifting!" Mrs. Haviland repeated indignantly.

"There wasn't very much uplift about them the other night. Gardner and I stopped in to see if we couldn't take you to the Hoyts', but you'd gone. Carol had on that flame-colored dress of hers, her hair was fluffed all over her ears in that silly way the girls do now; Joe couldn't take his eyes off her. The only light they had in the drawing-room was the yellow lamp and the fire; it was the coziest thing I ever saw!"

"Don't you believe it, my dear!" Mrs. Haviland returned triumphantly.

"Carol was very demure, 'Tante' this and 'Tante' that, but I knew right away that something was amiss! 'Oh,' I said right out flatly, 'are you alone here, Carol?' and she answered very prettily: 'Vivian was to be here, but she hasn't come yet!' This was after half-past seven."

"Let me see -- the next morning -- where was I? Oh, yes, it was your luncheon, and Billy had gone out for some tennis when I came downstairs. I supposed of course -- but I didn't ask. I DID ask Helda what time she had let the gentleman out and she said before eleven -- not much after half-past ten, in fact."

"You see, we mustn't go on suppositions and halftruths any more," said Mrs. Haviland in delicate reproach.

"When we have that wonderful and delicate thing, a girl's soul, to deal with, we must be SURE."

"Well, I think you had," the other agreed

"What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply.

"Don't talk absurdities," she said boldly. But Rachael saw the uneasiness under the assured manner, and smiled to herself.

"It's a great mistake to talk that way, whether you mean it or not," Mrs. Haviland said

"But you're joking, of course; you're too sensible to take any step that would only plunge you into fresh difficulties. Clarence is very trying, I know -- we all know that -- but let's try to face the situation sensibly, and not fly off the handle like this! Why, Rachael dear, I can hardly believe it's your cool-headed, reasonable self talking," she went on more quietly. "Don't -- don't even think about it! In the first place, you couldn't get it!"

"Give up your home and your car and your maids for some small hotel?" she questioned

"No clubs, no dinners, none of your old friends -- have you thought of that?"

"I never dreamed -- " Mrs. Haviland mused dazedly.

"How long, in Heaven's name, have you been thinking about it?"

"Well, it's awful!" the other woman said.

"It'll make the most awful -- and as if poor Clarence hadn't been all through it all once! I declare it makes me sick! But I can't believe you're serious. Rachael, think -- think what it means!"

"Only Clarence won't BE blamed, my dear; men never are!" Mrs. Haviland suggested

"Ah, well, my dear, we aren't any of us really indifferent to criticism," the older woman said.

"People are censorious -- it's too bad, it's a pity -- but there you are. 'There must have been something we didn't understand,' they say, 'there must be another man!'".

"That's what they say," Mrs. Haviland went on.

"And no matter how brave or how independent a woman is, she doesn't like THAT." .

"For God's sake, think what you are doing, dear," she said pleadingly; "think of Carol and of us all! Don't drag us all through the papers again! I know what Clarence is, poor wretched boy; he's always had too much money, he's always had his own way. I know what you put up with week in and week out -- ".

"I've always been so fond of you, Rachael," Florence went on..

"I've always stood your friend -- you know that -- ".

"Long before I knew how much you would be liked, Rachael, and what a fuss people were going to make over you, I made you welcome," continued Florence

"I thanked God that Clarence had married a good woman, and that Carol would have a refined and a -- I may say a Christian home. Isn't that true?"

"Then think it over," besought the other woman eagerly

"Think that Carol will marry, and that Clarence -- "

Then she added dryly, "How do, dear?"

"I don't even know that Charlotte is going," Mrs. Haviland said

"Uncle Gardner and I haven't made up our minds. Isabelle in any case would only go to look on, so she is not so much interested, but poor Charlotte is simply on tenterhooks to know whether it's to be yes or no. Girls' first parties" -- her indulgent smile included Rachael -- "dear me, how important they seem!"

"Mrs. Bowditch is fortunately an old enough friend, dear, to waive the usual formalities," her aunt answered sweetly.

"Glad to. Any chance of you coming to lunch, Rachael? What are your plans?"

"my boy."

"Gardner worships the girls," she said, with wifely indulgence, "but I know he wants a son -- and the girlies need a brother!"

"So I'm in for the whole thing again!"

"Extraordinary!"

"That was quite right, dear," Mrs. Haviland said

"M'ma doesn't quite like to hear you calling a young man you hardly know by his first name, Isabelle. Of course, there's no harm in it, but it cheapens a girl just a LITTLE. While Charlotte might do it because she is older, and has seen Charlie Gregory at some of the little informal affairs last winter, you are younger, and haven't really seen much of him since he went to college. Don't let M'ma hear you do that again."

"You understand M'ma, don't you, dear?" she asked. Isabelle murmured something indistinguishable.

"Did you give my message to Miss Roper, Charlotte?" pursued the matron.

"So M'ma's message was forgotten?" the mother asked pleasantly.

"Would rather have telephoned about?" Mrs. Haviland corrected automatically.

"Well, M'ma would rather FEEL that when she sends a message it is given to JUST the person to whom she sent it, in JUST the way she sent it. However, in this case no harm was done. Don't hook your heel over the rung of your chair, dear! Ring the bell, Isabelle, I want Alice."

"Thank you, dear, but I want to speak to Alice. And now you girls might run along. I'll be down directly."

"They have a pleasant day for their picnic," she observed

"Well, I hope they'll be careful; one hears of so many accidents among foolish young people there!" Mrs. Haviland answered

"They've got their sets all made up, M'ma, and one hates to, unless they specially ask one, don't you know?"

"Come on down to the boathouse, Kent, and let's have a smoke!"

"Poor Vivian -- poor Billy!" Mrs. Haviland would say.

"Men don't really admire girls who allow them such familiarities, although the silly girls may think they do! But when it comes to marrying, it is the sweet, womanly girls to whom the men turn!"

"Any plans for the afternoon, girlies?" she asked

"That was very sweet of Aunt Gertrude. I think I will go over to the club and see what Papa is planning and how his game is going, and then I could pick you girls up here."

"something"

"So glad to see you alone a moment, Rachael -- one never does," said Florence.

"Tell me, do you go to the Villalongas'?"

"But not you?"

"Things are better, aren't they, dear?" she asked delicately.

"Between you and Clarence, I mean."

"How do you mean changed?" Florence was instantly in arms.

"Perhaps it is just as well to make different plans for the summer," she said presently.

"We all get on each other's nerves sometimes, and change or separation does us a world of good."

"I didn't see him go down," remarked Florence, diverted.

"I wonder what he's doing this summer?" mused the older lady.

"She tell you?" asked Mrs. Haviland, interested.

"I didn't know she had any friends," was Florence's next comment.

"I don't see her visiting, somehow!"

"Been having a nice time, dear?" her mother asked fondly.

"In the library!" said Florence quickly.

"Why, I thought you were with Charley!"

"Anyone else in the library?" Florence asked in a dissatisfied tone.

"Why didn't you go down to the courts, dear? I think Papa is playing!"

"No, go along," Florence said with vague discontent.

"I've got to do some telephoning, anyway."

"What is it?" she asked

"How do you mean a change?" the other woman said

"What madness has got hold of that boy now?" his sister exclaimed aghast.

"Well, then, YOU'RE mad!" the older woman said shortly.

"Go talk to someone who's been through it," Florence warned her.

"Do you mean to say you've decided, seriously, to do it?"

"How do you propose to do it?" Florence asked

"You think that's fair to Clarence?" she asked presently.

"Personally, I shall have nothing to do with it, and Clarence very little. Charlie Sturgis will represent me. I suppose Coates and Crandall will take care of Clarence -- I don't know. That's all there is to it!"

"Rachael," she said desperately, "will you TALK to someone -- will you talk to Gardner?"

"I know," Florence said

"I know, dear, it's too bad -- it's dreadful -- it's a great shame. But men are like that! Now Gardner -- "

"Rachael, dear," Florence said sweetly, when the greetings were over, "will you take the bishop down to look at the sundial? I've been boasting about it."

"Oh, Bishop, how wonderful of you!" said Florence thankfully.