TOMYFAVOURITEBROKERWITHTHEEARNESTASSURANCETHATMR。BEVERLYISNOT
MEANTFORHIM
NOTE
IN1901,thisstoryappearedanonymouslyastheninthofasequenceofshortstoriesbyvariousauthors,inavolumeentitledAHouseParty。Ithasbeenslightlyremodelledforseparatepublication。
June7,1907,OWENWISTER
MOTHER
WhenhandsomeyoungRichardFieldhewasveryhandsomeandveryyoung
announcedtoourassembledcompanythatifhisturnshouldreallycometotellusastory,thestoryshouldbenoinventionofhisfancy,butapageoftruth,achapterfromhisownlife,inwhichhimselfwastheheroandalovely,innocentgirlwastheheroine,hiswifeatoncelookedextremelyuncomfortable。Shechangedtherecliningpositioninwhichshehadbeenleaningbackinherchair,andshesaterect,withahandcloseduponeacharmofthechair。
\"Richard,\"shesaid。\"doyouthinkthatitisrightofyoutotellanyone,evenfriends,anythingthatyouhaveneveryetconfessedtome?\"
\"Ethel,\"repliedRichard,\"althoughIcannotpromisethatyouwillbeentirelyproudofmyconductwhenyouhaveheardthisepisodeofmypast,IdosaythatthereisnothinginittohurtthetrustyouhaveplacedinmesinceIhavebeenyourhusband。Only,\"headded,\"IhopethatIshallnothavetotellanystoryatall。\"
\"Oh,yesyouwill!\"weallexclaimedtogether;andthemenlookedeagerwhilethewomensighed。
TherestofusweremucholderthanRichard,weweremiddle-aged,infact;andhumannatureissoconstructed,thatwhenitisattheagewhenmakinglovekeepsitbusy,itdoesnotcaresomuchtolistentotalesofothers\'love-making;butthemoreitrecedesfromthatperiodofexuberance,andceasestohaveloveadventuresofitsown,thegreaterbecomeitshungerandthirsttohearaboutthisdeliciousbusinesswhichitcannolongerpersonallypracticewiththefluencyofyore。Itwasforthisreasonthatweallyearnedinourmiddle-agedwayforthetaleoflovewhichweexpectedfromyoungRichard。He,onhispart,repeatedthehopethatbythetimehisturntotellastorywasreachedweshouldbetiredofstoriesandprefertospendtheeveningatthecardtablesorinthemusicroom。
Wewereahouseparty,nobrief\"week-end\"affair,butagatheringwhoseperiodformostoftheguestscoveredagenerousandleisurelytendays,withenoughdeparturesandarrivalstogivethatvarietywhichisnecessaryamongeventhemostentertainingandagreeablepeople。Ourskilfulhostesshadassembledusinthecountry,beneatharoofofNewYorkluxury,aluxurywhichhascomeintheselaterdaystobesomuchmorethanprincely。Byday,thegroundsaffordedusbothgolfandtennis,thestablesprovidedmotorcarsandhorsestorideordriveoveradmirableroads,throughbeautifulscenerythatwasembellishedbyamagnificentautumnseason。Atnightfall,thegreathouseitselfreceivedusinthearmsofsupremecomfort,fedussumptuously,andafterdinnerministeredtoourmiddle-agedbodieswithchairsandsofasofthehighestdevelopment。
Theplandevisedbyourhostess,Mrs。Davenport,thatastoryshouldbetoldbyoneofuseachevening,hadmetwithcourtesy,butnotIwithimmediateenthusiasm。ButMrs。Davenporthadchosenherguestswithherusualwisdom,andafterthefirstexperiment,storytellingprovedsosuccessfulthatnoneofuswouldhavereadilyabandonedit。WhenthetimehadcomeforRichardFieldtoentertainthecompanywiththepromisedtalefromhislifeexperience,hishopeofescapingthisordealhadaltogethervanished。
Mrs。Field,ithadbeennoticedasearlyasbreakfasttime,wasinclinedtobenervousonherhusband\'saccount。Fiveyearsofmarriedlifehadnotcuredherofthisamiablesymptom,andshemadebutalightmeal。He,ontheotherhand,ateheartilyandwithoutsignsofdisturbance。
Apparentlyhewasnotevenconsciousoftheglancesthathiswifesofrequentlystoleathim。
\"Doatleasthavesomeomelet,mydear,\"whisperedMrs。Davenporturgently。\"It\'squitelight。\"
ButMrs。Fieldcouldsummonnoappetite。
\"Iseeyouareanxiousabouthim,\"Mrs。Davenportcontinuedafterbreakfast。\"Youaresurelynotafraidhisstorywillfailtointerestus?\"
\"No,itisnotthat。\"
\"Itcan\'tbethathehasgivenuptheoneheexpectedtotellusandcanthinkofnoother?\"
\"Oh,no;heisgoingtotellthatone。\"
\"Andyoudon\'tlikehischoice?\"
\"Hewon\'ttellmewhatitis!\"Mrs。Davenportputdownherembroidery。
\"Then,Ethel,\"shelaidwithseverity,\"thefaultisyours。WhenIhadbeenfiveyearsmarried,Mr。Davenportconfidedeverythingtome。\"
\"SodoesRichard。ExceptwhenIparticularlyaskhim。\"
\"Thereitis,Ethel。Youlethimseethatyouwanttoknow。\"
\"ButIdowanttoknow。Richardhashadsuchinterestingexperiences,somanyofthem。AndIdosowanthimtotellathoroughlyniceone。There\'stheonewhenhesavedamanfromdrowningjustbelowourhouse,thesecondsummer,andthemanturnedouttobeaburglarandbrokeintothepantrythatverynight,andRichardcaughthiminthedarkwithjustasmuchcourageashehadcaughthiminthewaterandjustasfewclothes,onlyitwassodifferent。Richardmakesitquitethrilling。AndI
mentionedanothertohim。Buthejustwentonshaving。Andnowhehasgoneoutwalking,andIbelieveit\'sgoingtobesomethingIwouldrathernothear。ButImeantohearit。\"
AtlunchMrs。Fieldmadeabettermeal,althoughitwascleartoMrs。
DavenportthatRichardonreturningfromhiswalkhadstillkepthisintentionsfromEthel。\"Shedoesnotmanagehimintheleast,\"Mrs。
Davenportdeclaredtotheotherladies,asEthelandRichardstartedforanafternoondrivetogether。\"Shewillnotknowanythingmorewhenshebringshimback。\"
ButinthisMrs。DavenportdidwrongtoEthel\'sresources。Theyoungwifedidknowsomethingmorewhenshebroughtherhusbandbackfromtheirdrivethroughthepleasantcountry。Theyreturnedlookinglikeanengagedcouple,ratherthanparentswhosenurserywasalreadyasongofthreelittlevoices。
\"Hehastoldher,\"thoughtMrs。Davenportatthefirstsightofthem,astheyenteredthedrawing-roomforanafternoontea。\"Shedoesunderstandsomethings。\"
Andwhenafterdinnertheladieshadwithdrawntothelibrary,andwaitedforthementofinishtheircigars,Mrs。DavenportspoketoEthel。\"Mydear,Icongratulateyou。Isawitatonce。\"