by Owen Johnson
*CHAPTER XXVI*
"Just one thing I would like to know," said Beecher when Mrs. Kildair,following McKenna's lead, had left off with Garraboy's departure.
"What?" she said, noticing his sudden embarrassment.
He could not keep from his face a new consciousness, but he went onlamely:
"Why did Miss Charters come back?"
She laughed at what his manner revealed, and said:
"So that's it! I told you she came when I telephoned her."
"Yes, but why did you do that?"
"Because I noticed her agitation and the way she watched one person inparticular."
"Mrs. Bloodgood?"
"Yes."
"What did she tell you?"
"She had seen Mrs. Bloodgood pick up the ring and try it on," said Mrs.Kildair. "The circumstances did seem suspicious, for Mrs. Bloodgoodlooked up in the mirror and saw her watching her. Miss Charters did notknow whether she had returned it, I suppose. That was all. It did lookbad--considering what happened afterward."
"That was it, then," said Beecher, satisfied. He raised his head andsaw Mrs. Kildair's eyes on him intently.
"Well?" he said with an innocent expression.
"How far has it gone?" said Mrs. Kildair.
"What?"
"Are you in love with Miss Charters?"
"I wonder," he said evasively.
"Are you serious?" she asked quickly.
"And if I said yes--"
"You are thinking of marriage?"
"And if I were?"
"You'd be a big fool," she said decisively.
He raised his eyebrows, astonished and wounded.
"You say this--the day before your own?"
"Come here," she said, taking him by the wrist and leading him to thesofa. "Sit down there. Are you really seriously thinking of marriage?"
"Yes, I am."
She drew back in her chair, looking at him in doubt.
"Teddy," she said at last, "you are too worth while to be spoiled likethat. You have been too loyal a friend for me not to keep you from thisblunder."
"But, good heavens, am I not a responsible being?"
"Listen," she said, cutting him off. She glanced at the clock. "Ihaven't much time, so don't interrupt me. I am very fond of you andwhat I say is in kindness. Yes, I am going to marry, and yet I say toyou that you should not. I understand what it means. I have nothing tolearn. There are two kinds of marriages, Teddy. The marriage thatninety-nine persons out of a hundred make--the marriage that is ajoining of forces to fight the battle of life--has a definite object.The wife is the helpmate. The serious thing is to live, to pay thebills and to save a little money. You have nothing to do with that kindof marriage. The other kind of marriage is the marriage our sort makes,most of the time--no responsibilities, no object, and no struggle. Youtake a wife to help you enjoy yourself, and your enjoyment depends onpiling up new sensations--in never being bored. Happiness in suchconditions is a miracle. As a matter of fact, it is not a marriage atall, it is simply a liaison."
"Even then?"
"Yes, certain liaisons have lasted and been happy," she admitted; "weknow that, but only on the same terms that will make permanent happinessin such a marriage. You are not a worker--you are simply curious aboutlife, and curiosity is not a thing that is satisfied by one experience.The marriage you would make now would simply be an experience incuriosity, with inevitable results. To have any chance of success, doyou know what ought to be?"
"What?"
"There should be on each side an equal experience in curiosity. Whenyou have known two hundred women, you will find that there is always oneabove the rest who is necessary to you. Miss Charters may be that onenow, but without the experience I speak of, you will never recognize ituntil too late. Therefore," she said, standing up, "don't marry for tenyears. Not with such eyes and such lips," she said, passing her handover the flushed face of the young man. "I know what I'm speaking of.Life's a very big world when you're alone, and a very small patch whenyou're married. Wait. Think over what I've said, Teddy."
He did think over what she had told him as he walked out into thestreet.
"She sees very clearly," he said solemnly, "and there's a great deal inwhat she says--a great deal," he repeated firmly, and stopping at thefirst hotel he telephoned Nan Charters.
The next morning he received another note from her.
Just to repeat, Teddy dear, that I think too much of you to hold you towhat happened yesterday. We must both think _seriously--veryseriously_.
NAN.
"That's right: we must think seriously," he repeated solemnly, andreached for the papers, after eying the telephone for a long time.
Gunther called up later in the morning to give him an astonishing bit ofnews--Garraboy had sailed for Europe at nine that morning, and on thesame ship had gone Mrs. Cheever. But this news did not excite him inthe least. He spent the morning very heavily, keeping to his promisenot to telephone with great difficulty. He did not go to his club forluncheon, but took his meal alone at a chance restaurant.
Then he went to call on Emma Fornez.
"Aha, you have called to talk to me about your little Charters," saidthe prima donna at once.
"How do you know?" he said bluntly.
"It's very simple; when a man's in love he never talks it over with aman--no, he always goes to another woman."
"Well, would you be surprised if I married Miss Charters?" he said, gladto have arrived at the only topic which interested him.
"If you what!" exclaimed Mme. Fornez, catapulting from the sofa.
"If I marry," he repeated firmly.
"Marry? Oh, no, no, no!" she cried, with her hands on her hips andbobbing her head to each negation. "Amuse yourself--love--flirt--breakher heart or break yours--_est-ce que je sais_--but marry? What! Youare mad!"
"I mean it."
"No, impossible! Marry one of us--an actress--you--a nice boy? _Allonsdonc_. You ought to be shut up. Marry Charters. You might just aswell marry Emma Fornez, and when I say that--oh, la, la! My poor boy, Ipity you!"
"But you all marry."
"True. But what difference does it make to us?" she threw out her chin,the gesture of the peasant. "You are serious?"
"Very."
"Let me talk to you. I have only a minute. My masseuse is coming andin America one doesn't receive with a masseuse--_enfin_. Listen to mewell. You want to marry seriously--for good, then? Children and all therest? Well, my boy, you might just as well marry Emma Fornez and expecther to spend her days over a ragout as to marry Charters. Will she giveup her career?"
"We haven't thought of that."
"It makes no difference. On the stage, off the stage, it's the samething. She won't change. Do you want to play the part of a valet, alittle dancing dog, _hein_? For that's just what you'll be; and one oftwenty. For she's used to crowds of men. She won't change. Love, mydear boy, is madness, hallucination, you are drunk; but everythingreturns as it was before--believe me. If I were a man I'd never fall inlove with a woman until I married her--it's easy enough then. You wouldknow what you're getting!"
The masseuse came in, sliding on tiptoe from one door to another.
"Victorine--_ma masseuse_! In a minute, in a minute, Madame Tenier.I'll be with you in a minute. Where was I? Teddy, you do not know usprofessional women--we are wrestlers, we are always struggling with youmen--I warn you. No two ways. She will never be happy, my dearboy--because she never is happy. We are never happy, or we would not bewhat we are. And what of moods, day in and day out. _Tiens_--I'll tellyou what you'll be--another Victorine. Victorine, _ou diable es-tu_?No, no, Teddy; don't be a big fool; don't be an idiot. You are so nice.You can amuse yourself so well. Don't put your head in a noose. If sheloves you now, she won't to-morrow; she can't help it. Then where'llyou be--in the soup, _hein_. And she? No, no, believe me, Teddy, nevermarry, in the first place, and then
never marry one of us."
"There's something in what she says," thought Beecher, as he moodilydescended in the elevator. "She knows her own kind better than I do."
He looked undecidedly at the clock and went to pay a dinner call on Mrs.Craig Fontaine. In ten minutes they were on the same subject.
"I am terribly upset," said the young widow. "I don't want any troubleto come to you, and I can't help thinking that what you are consideringis a very risky step. In the first place, Teddy, you are too young."
He made a movement of impatience at this repetition, which had begun tooffend his sense of dignity.
"You don't know what is ahead," she said warmly. "You do not realizethat points of view change. What you seek now, romance, adventure, isnot what you'll seek at thirty-five, and life is mostly afterthirty-five, Ted. Today you are willing to sacrifice every friend inthe world for one love; tomorrow you will realize that friends are ourlife, their ways, their companionship, their interests. Today you holdyourself very cheaply; tomorrow you will wake up, look round you, seewhat other women have brought to their husbands, and you will say, 'Whatam I worth?'"
"You believe in mercenary marriages, then?" he said irritably.
"No, but I believe in staying in the same society in which you belong.I don't want to be cruel, but Miss Charters is of another world. I knowthere is nothing against her. She may be able to enter your world, andthen again she may not want to--may prefer the freedom of her own, andyou will follow her. Have you thought of that? Your friends must beyour wife's friends, or you will give them up. Marriage, Teddy, whichcan be the most decisive act in a man's life, is the one he throws awaythe most lightly. I'm only afraid you may wake up to what you mighthave done, Teddy. You are young, eager, you are not yet bored. You mayfeel the desire to be something, to do something that counts in yourlife. I don't want you then to wake up and realize that anothermarriage might have given you the connections you wanted, the addedopportunity. At this moment marriage appears to you the only thing thatcounts; you will realize some day that it is the least thing in it."She smiled, as he looked amazed, and added: "No amount of discussion canmake you understand these things--they must be lived. But, Teddy,before you leap, ask yourself seriously what you are worth."
When he left Mrs. Fontaine's presence, he did so with lagging steps.The advice of these three women, so various and viewing life from suchdivergent points of view, profoundly impressed him. He tried to argueagainst what had been told him, and as this process irritated him beyondmeasure, he broke off, acknowledging their superior insight. But all atonce he stopped short, enlightened by a sudden reflection.
"If what they say is true ... why did they all marry?"
This answer, which might seem no answer at all, appeared to the mind ofthe lover, which is to say to the mind seeking to be convinced, socomplete and startling a refutation, that he swung on his heel, and wentdirectly to offer himself to Miss Charters.
