The Avalanche - Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (free ebook reader for ipad .TXT) 📗

Excitement--"

 

Helene Laughed Merrily. "You Are Quite Right, But There's No Harm In Her.

After All, Unless One Goes In For Charities (And I Can't, Price, Yet;

Besides The Charities Here Are Wonderfully Looked After), Plays Bridge,

Has Babies, Takes On Suffrage--What Is There To Do But Play? I Suppose

Once Life Was Serious For Young Women Of Our Class; But We Just Get Into

The Habit Of Doing Nothing Because There's Nothing To Do. Take To-Morrow

As An Example: I Suppose Polly And I Will Wander Down To The Louvre In

The Morning And Buy Something Or Look At The New Gowns M. Dupont Has Just

Brought From Paris.

 

"Then We'll Lunch Where There's Lots Of Life And Everybody Is Chatting

Gayly About Nothing.

 

"Then We'll Go To The Moving Pictures Unless There Is A Matinee, And Then

We'll Motor Out To The Boulevard, And Then Back And Have Tea Somewhere.

 

"Or, Perhaps, We'll Motor Down To The Club At Burlingame For Lunch And

Chatter Away The Day On The Veranda, Or Dance. This Afternoon We'll

Probably Ring Up A Few That Are Still In Town, And Dance In Polly's

Parlor At The Fairmont."

 

Helene's Lip Curled, Her Voice Had Risen. With, All Her Young Enjoyment

Of Wealth And Position, She Had Been Bred In A Class Where To Idle Is A

Crime. "Just Putting In Time--Time That Ought To Be As Precious As

Youth And High Spirits And Ease And Popularity! But What Is One To Do?

I Have No Talents, And I'd Lose Caste In My Set If I Had. I Don't

Wonder The Socialists Hate Us And Want To Put Us All To Work. No Doubt

We Should Be Much Happier. But Now--Even If You Retired From Business,

You'd Spend Most Of Your Time On The Links. We Poor Women Wouldn't Be

Much Better Off."

 

"It Does Seem An Abnormal State Of Affairs; I've Barely Given It A

Thought, It Has Always Been Such A Pleasure To Find You, After A Hard

Day's Work, Looking Invariably Dainty, And Pretty, And Eloquently

Suggestive Of Leisure And Repose. But--To The Student Of History--I

Suppose It Is A Condition That Cannot Last. There Must Be Some Sort Of

Upheaval Due. Well, I Hope It Will Give Me More Of Your Society."

 

They Smiled At Each Other Across The Little Table In Perfect Confidence.

They Were Lunching In The Court, And After She Had Blown Him A Kiss Over

Her Glass Of Red Wine, Her Eyes Happened To Travel In The Direction Of

The Large Dining-Room. She Gave A Little Exclamation Of Distaste.

 

"There Is Maman Lunching With That Hateful Old Mr. Lawton. He Was In Her

Sitting-Room When I Ran In To Call On Her Yesterday, And Nearly Snapped

My Head Off When I Asked Him If He Wouldn't Buy My Electric For Aileen.

He Said It Was Time She Began To Learn A Few Economies Instead Of More

Extravagances. Poor Darling Aileen. She Has To Stay In Town, Too, For He

Won't Open The House In Atherton Until He Is Ready To Go Down Himself

Every Night."

 

"Is He An Old Friend Of Your Mother's?"

 

"She And Papa Met Him When They Were Here, And Mrs. Lawton Was Very Kind

When I Was Born. It's Too Bad Mrs. Lawton's Dead. She'd Be A Nice Friend

For Maman."

 

"Perhaps Your Mother Is Asking Mr. Lawton's Advice About The Investment

Of Money."

 

He Had Been Observing His Wife Closely, But It Was More And More Apparent

That If Mr. Lawton Held The Key To Her Mother's Past She Had Not Been

Informed Of The Fact. She Answered Indifferently:

 

"Possibly. One Can Get Much Higher Interest Out Here Than In France, And

Maman Would Never Invest Money Without The Best Advice. She Loves Me, But

Money Next. Oh, La! La!"

 

"Has She Said Anything More About Going Back To Rouen?"

 

"I Didn't Have A Word With Her Alone Yesterday, But I'll Ask Her To-Day.

Poor Maman! I Fancy The Novelty Has Worn Off Here, And She Would Really

Be Happier With Her Own People And Customs. She Hates Traveling, Like All

The French; But Don't You Think That, After A Bit We Shall Be Able To Go

Over To Europe At Least Once A Year?"

 

"I Am Sure Of It. And While I Am Attending To Business In London You

Could Visit Your Mother In Rouen. Tell Her That One Way Or Another I'll

Manage It."

 

And This Seemed To Him An Ideal Arrangement!

 

 

Ii

 

When They Left The Table And Walked Through The More Luxurious Part Of

The Court, They Saw Madame Delano Alone And Enthroned As Usual In The

Largest But Most Upright Of The Armchairs. And As Ever She Watched Under

Her Fat Drooping Eyelids The Passing Throng Of Smartly Dressed Women,

Hurrying Men, Sauntering, Staring Tourists. Here And There Under The

Palms Sat Small Groups Of Men, Leaning Forward, Talking In Low Earnest

Tones, Their Faces, Whether Of The Keen, Narrow, Nervous, Or Of The

Fleshy, Heavy, Square-Jawed, Unimaginative, Aggressive, Ruthless Type,

Equally Expressing That Intense Concentration Of Mind Which Later Would

Make Their Luncheon A Living Torment.

 

Helene Threw Herself Into A Chair Beside Her Mother And Fondled Her Hand.

Ruyler Noted That After Madame Delano's Surprised Smile Of Welcome She

Darted A Keen Glance Of Apprehension From One To The Other, And Her Tight

Little Mouth Relaxed Uncontrollably In Its Supporting Walls Of Flesh. But

She Lowered Her Lids Immediately And Looked Approvingly At Her Daughter,

Who In Her New Gown Of Gray, With Gray Hat And Gloves And Shoes, Was A

Dainty And Refreshing Picture Of Spring. Then She Looked At Ruyler With

What He Fancied Was An Expression Of Relief.

 

"I Wonder You Do Not Do This Oftener," She Said.

 

"I Never Know Until The Last Moment When Or Where I Shall Be Able To Take

Lunch, And Then I Often Have To Meet Three Or Four Men. Such Is Life In

The City Of Your Adoption."

 

"There Is No City In The World Where Women Are So Abominably Idle And

Useless!" And At The Moment, Whatever Madame Delano May Have Been, Her

Voice And Mien Were Those Of A Virtuous And Outraged Bourgeoisie. "You

Are All Very Well, Ruyler, But If I Had Known What The Life Of A Rich

Young Woman Was In This Town, I'd Have Married Helene To A Serious Young

Man Of Her Own Class In Rouen; A Husband Who Would Have Given Her

Companionship In A Normal Civilized Life, Who Would Have Taken Care Of

Her As Every Young Wife Should Be Taken Care Of, And Who Would Have

Insisted Upon At Least Two Children As A Matter Of Course. With Us The

Family Is A Religion. Here It Is An Incident Where It Is Not An

Accident."

 

Ruyler, Who Was Still Standing, Looked Down At His Mother-In-Law With

Profound Interest. He Had Never Heard Her Express Herself At Such Length

Before. "Do You Think I Fail As A Husband?" He Asked Humbly. "God Knows

I'd Like To Give My Wife About Two-Thirds Of My Time, But At Least I Have

Perfect Confidence In Her. I Should Soon Cease To Care For A Wife I Was

Obliged To Watch."

 

"Young Things Are Young Things." Madame Delano Looked At Helene, Who Had

Turned Very White And Had Lowered Her Own Lids To Hide The Consternation

In Her Eyes. But As Her Mother Ceased Speaking She Raised Them In Swift

Appeal To Ruyler.

 

"Maman Says I Coquette Too Much," She Said Plaintively, And Price

Wondered If A Slight Movement Under The Hem Of Madame Delano's Long

Skirts Meant That The Toe Of A Little Gray Shoe Were Boring Into One Of

The Massive Plinths Of His Mother-In-Law. "But Tell Him, Maman, That You

Don't Really Mean It. I Can't Have Price Jealous. That Would Be Too

Humiliating. I'm Afraid I Do Flirt As Naturally As I Breathe, But Price

Knows I Haven't A Thought For A Man On Earth But Him." The Color Had

Crept Back Into Her Cheeks, But There Was Still Anxiety In Her Soft Black

Eyes, And Price Was Sure That The Little Pointed Toe Once More Made Its

Peremptory Appeal.

 

Madame Delano Looked Squarely At Her Son-In-Law.

 

"That's All Right--So Far," She Said Grimly. "Helene Is Devoted To

You. But So Have Many Other Young Wives Been To Busy American Husbands.

Now, Take My Advice, And Give Her More Of Your Companionship Before It

Is Too Late. _Watch Over Her_. There Always Comes A Time--A

Turning-Point--European Husbands Understand, But American Husbands Are

Fools. Woman's Loyalty, Fed On Hope Only, Turns To Resentment; And Then

Her Separate Life Begins. Now, I've Warned You. Go Back To Your Office,

Where, No Doubt, Your Clerks Are Hanging Out Of The Windows, Wondering If

You Are Dead And The Business Wrecked. I Want To Talk To Helene."

 

 

Iii

 

In Spite Of His Wise Old French Mother-In-Law's Insinuations, Ruyler Felt

Lighter Of Heart As He Left The Hotel And Walked Toward His Office Than

He Had Since Sunday. Of Two Things He Was Certain: There Was No Ugly

Understanding Between The Mother And Daughter Over That Unspeakable Past,

And Madame Delano's New Attitude Toward Her Daughter Was Merely The

Result Of An Over-Sophisticated Mother's Apprehensions: Those Of A Woman

Who Was Looking In Upon Smart Society For The First Time And Found It

Alarming, And--Unwelcome, But Inevitable Thought--Peculiarly Dangerous To

A Young And Beautiful Creature With Wild And Lawless Blood In Her Veins.

 

However, It Was Patent That So Far Her Apprehensions Were Merely The

Result Of A Rare Imaginative Flight, The Result, No Doubt, Of Her Own

Threatened Exposure. Once More He Admired Her Courage In Returning To San

Francisco, And As He Recalled The Covert Air Of Cynical Triumph, With

Which She Had Accepted His Offer For Her Daughter's Hand, He Made No

Doubt That One Object Had Been To Play A Sardonic Joke On The City She

Must Hate.

 

He Renewed His Determination To Keep What Guard He Could Over His Young

Wife, And Wondered If His Brother Harold, Who Also Had Elected To Enter

The Old Firm, Could Not Be Induced To Come Out And Take Over A Certain

Share Of The Responsibility. The Young Man Had Paid Him A Visit A Year

Ago And Been Enraptured With Life In California.

 

True, He Was Accustomed To Make Quick Decisions Without Consulting Any

One, And He Should Find A Partner Irksome, But He Was Beginning To

Realize Acutely That Business, Even To An American Brain, Packed With Its

Traditions And Energies, Was Not Even The Half Of Life, Should Be A Means

Not An End; He Set His Teeth As He Walked Rapidly Along Montgomery Street

And Vowed That He Would Keep His Domestic Happiness If He Had To Retire

On What Was Available Of His Own Fortune. He Even Wondered If It Would

Not Be Wise To Buy A Fruit Ranch, Where He And Helene Could Share Equally

In The Management, And Begin At Once To Raise A Family. They Both Loved

Outdoor Life, And This Life Of Complete Frivolity, In Which She Seemed To

Be Hopelessly Enmeshed, Might Before Long Corrode Her Nature And Blast

The Mental Aspirations That Still Survived In That Untended Soil. When

This Great Merging Deal Was Over He Should Be Free To Decide.

 

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

I

 

He Arrived At Home On The Following Afternoon At Six And Was

Immediately Rung Up By Spaulding, Who Demanded An Interview. It Was Not

Worth While Going Down Town Again, As Helene Was Out And Would No Doubt

Return Only In Time To Dress For Dinner. They Were To Dine At Half-Past

Seven And Go To The Play Afterward. He Told Spaulding To Take A Taxi

And Come To The House.

 

Nothing Had Occurred Meanwhile To Cause Him Anxiety. He Had Taken Helene

Out To The Cliff House To Dinner The Night Before, And Afterward To See

The Road-Houses, Whose Dancing Is So Painfully Proper Early In The

Evening. Polly Roberts Had Come Into The Most Notorious Of Them At

Eleven, Chaperoning A Party, Which Included Aileen Lawton, A Girl As

Restless And Avid Of Excitement As Herself. Rex Roberts And Several Other

Young Men Had Been In