第26章

MRS.JOHN DUMONT.

And Pauline?--She was now looking back upon the first year of her married life.

She had been so brought up that at seventeen, within a few weeks of eighteen, she had only the vaguest notion of the meaning of the step she was about to take in "really marrying" John Dumont.Also, it had never occurred to her as possible for a properly constituted woman not to love her husband.It was clearly her duty to marry Jack; therefore, the doubting thoughts and the ache at the heart which would not ease were merely more outcroppings of the same evil part of her nature that had tempted her into deceiving her parents, and into entangling herself and Scarborough.She knew that, if she were absolutely free, she would not marry Jack.But she felt that she had bartered away her birthright of freedom; and now, being herself, the daughter of HER father and HER mother, she would honorably keep her bargain, would love where she ought to love--at seventeen "Iwill" means "I shall." And so--they were "really married."But the days passed, and there was no sign of the miracle she had confidently expected.The magic of the marriage vow failed to transform her; Pauline Dumont was still Pauline Gardiner in mind and in heart.There was, however, a miracle, undreamed of, mysterious, overwhelming--John Dumont, the lover, became John Dumont, the husband.Beside this transformation, the revelation that the world she loved and lived in did not exist for him, or his world for her, seemed of slight importance.She had not then experience enough to enable her to see that transformation and revelation were as intimately related as a lock and its key.

"It's all my fault," she told herself."It must be my fault." And Dumont, unanalytic and self-absorbed, was amused whenever Pauline's gentleness reminded him of his mother's half-believed warnings that his wife had "a will of her own, and a mighty strong one."They were back at Saint X in August and lived at the Frobisher place in Indiana Street--almost as pretentious as the Dumont homestead and in better taste.Old Mrs.Dumont had gone to Chicago alone for the furnishings for her own house; when she went for the furnishings for her son's house, she got Mrs.

Gardiner to go along--and Pauline's mother gave another of her many charming illustrations of the valuable truth that tact can always have its own way.Saint X was too keen-eyed and too interested in the new Mrs.Dumont to fail to note a change in her.It was satisfied with the surface explanation that Europe in general and Paris in particular were responsible.And it did not note that, while she had always been full of life and fond of company, she was now feverish in her restlessness, incessantly seeking distraction, never alone when she could either go somewhere or induce some one to come to her.

"You MUST be careful, my dear," said her mother-in-law, as soon as she learned that she had a grandmotherly interest in her daughter-in-law's health."You'll wear yourself out with all this running about."Pauline laughed carelessly, recklessly.

"Oh, I'm disgustingly healthy.Nothing hurts me.Besides, if Iwere quiet, I think I should--EXPLODE!"

Late in September Dumont had to go to New York.He asked her to go with him, assuming that she would decline, as she had visitors coming.But she was only too glad of the chance to give her increasing restlessness wider range.They went to the Waldorf--Scarborough and Pierson had been stopping there not a week before, making ready for that sensational descent upon Battle Field which has already been recorded.The first evening Dumont took her to the play.The next morning he left her early for a busy day down-town--"and I may not be able to return for dinner.I warned you before we left Saint X," he said, as he rose from breakfast in their sitting-room.

"I understand," she answered."You needn't bother to send word even, if you don't wish.I'll be tired from shopping and shan't care to go out this evening, anyhow."In the afternoon she drove with Mrs.Fanshaw, wife of one of Jack's business acquaintances--they had dined at the Fanshaws'

when they paused in New York on the way home from Europe.

Pauline was at the hotel again at five; while she and Mrs.

Fanshaw were having tea together in the palm garden a telegram was handed to her.She read it, then said to Mrs.Fanshaw: "Iwas going to ask you and your husband to dine with us.Jack sends word he can't be here, but--why shouldn't you come just the same?""No you must go with us," Mrs.Fanshaw replied."We've got a box at Weber and Fields', and two men asked, and we need another woman.I'd have asked you before, but there wouldn't be room for any more men."Mrs.Fanshaw had to insist until she had proved that the invitation was sincere; then, Pauline accepted--a distraction was always agreeable, never so agreeable as when it offered itself unannounced.It was toward the end of the dinner that Mrs.

Fanshaw happened to say: "I see your husband's like all of them.I don't believe there ever was a woman an American man wouldn't desert for business.""Oh, I don't in the least mind," replied Pauline."I like him to show that he feels free.Why, when we were in Paris on the return trip and had been married only two months, he got tangled up in business and used to leave me for a day--for two days, once."At Pauline's right sat a carefully dressed young man whose name she had not caught--she learned afterward that he was Mowbray Langdon.He was now giving her a stare of amused mock-admiration.When he saw that he had her attention, he said:

"Really, Mrs.Dumont, I can't decide which to admire most--YOURtrust or your husband's."

Pauline laughed--it struck her as ridiculous that either she or Jack should distrust the other.Indeed, she only hazily knew what distrust meant, and hadn't any real belief that "such things" actually existed.

Half an hour later the party was driving up to Weber and Fields'.