Inthegalleriestheenthusiasmwasunreserved;inthestallsandboxes,peoplesmiledalittleatthehackneyedsentimentsandclap–trapsituations,andenjoyedtheplayasmuchasthegalleriesdid.
ItwasthatinwhichHarryMontague,afterasad,almostmonosyllabicsceneofpartingwithMissDyas,badehergood–bye,andturnedtogo.
Theactress,whowasstandingnearthemantelpieceandlookingdownintothefire,woreagraycashmeredresswithoutfashionableloopingsortrimmings,mouldedtohertallfigureandflowinginlonglinesaboutherfeet.
Onthethresholdhepausedtolookather;thenhestoleback,liftedoneoftheendsofvelvetribbon,kissedit,andlefttheroomwithoutherhearinghimorchangingherattitude.
HethoughttheadieuxofMontagueandAdaDyasasfineasanythinghehadeverseenCroisetteandBressantdoinParis,orMadgeRobertsonandKendalinLondon;initsreticence,itsdumbsorrow,itmovedhimmorethanthemostfamoushistrionicoutpourings.
Ontheeveninginquestionthelittlesceneacquiredanaddedpoignancybyremindinghim—hecouldnothavesaidwhy—ofhisleave–takingfromMadameOlenskaaftertheirconfidentialtalkaweekortendaysearlier.
Itwouldhavebeenasdifficulttodiscoveranyresemblancebetweenthetwosituationsasbetweentheappearanceofthepersonsconcerned.
NewlandArchercouldnotpretendtoanythingapproachingtheyoungEnglishactor'sromanticgoodlooks,andMissDyaswasatallred–hairedwomanofmonumentalbuildwhosepaleandpleasantlyuglyfacewasutterlyunlikeEllenOlenska'svividcountenance.
NorwereArcherandMadameOlenskatwoloverspartinginheart–brokensilence;theywereclientandlawyerseparatingafteratalkwhichhadgiventhelawyertheworstpossibleimpressionoftheclient'scase.
ItseemedtobeinMadameOlenska'smysteriousfacultyofsuggestingtragicandmovingpossibilitiesoutsidethedailyrunofexperience.
Shehadhardlyeversaidawordtohimtoproducethisimpression,butitwasapartofher,eitheraprojectionofhermysteriousandoutlandishbackgroundorofsomethinginherentlydramatic,passionateandunusualinherself.
Archerhadalwaysbeeninclinedtothinkthatchanceandcircumstanceplayedasmallpartinshapingpeople'slotscomparedwiththeirinnatetendencytohavethingshappentothem.
Thequiet,almostpassiveyoungwomanstruckhimasexactlythekindofpersontowhomthingswereboundtohappen,nomatterhowmuchsheshrankfromthemandwentoutofherwaytoavoidthem.
Theexcitingfactwasherhavinglivedinanatmospheresothickwithdramathatherowntendencytoprovokeithadapparentlypassedunperceived.
Itwaspreciselytheoddabsenceofsurpriseinherthatgavehimthesenseofherhavingbeenpluckedoutofaverymaelstrom:thethingsshetookforgrantedgavethemeasureofthoseshehadrebelledagainst.
Themysteriouspersonwhofiguredinhiswife'spastas"thesecretary"hadprobablynotbeenunrewardedforhisshareinherescape.
Theconditionsfromwhichshehadfledwereintolerable,pastspeakingof,pastbelieving:shewasyoung,shewasfrightened,shewasdesperate—whatmorenaturalthanthatsheshouldbegratefultoherrescuer?
Archerhadmadeherunderstandthis,ashewasboundtodo;hehadalsomadeherunderstandthatsimpleheartedkindlyNewYork,onwhoselargercharityshehadapparentlycounted,waspreciselytheplacewhereshecouldleasthopeforindulgence.
Tohavetomakethisfactplaintoher—andtowitnessherresignedacceptanceofit—hadbeenintolerablypainfultohim.
Hefelthimselfdrawntoherbyobscurefeelingsofjealousyandpity,asifherdumbly–confessederrorhadputherathismercy,humblingyetendearingher.
Hewasgladitwastohimshehadrevealedhersecret,ratherthantothecoldscrutinyofMr.Letterblair,ortheembarrassedgazeofherfamily.
Heimmediatelytookituponhimselftoassurethemboththatshehadgivenupherideaofseekingadivorce,basingherdecisiononthefactthatshehadunderstoodtheuselessnessoftheproceeding;andwithinfiniterelieftheyhadallturnedtheireyesfromthe"unpleasantness"shehadsparedthem.
"IwassureNewlandwouldmanageit,"Mrs.Wellandhadsaidproudlyofherfutureson–in–law;andoldMrs.Mingott,whohadsummonedhimforaconfidentialinterview,hadcongratulatedhimonhiscleverness,andaddedimpatiently:"Sillygoose!Itoldhermyselfwhatnonsenseitwas.
TheseincidentshadmadethememoryofhislasttalkwithMadameOlenskasovividtotheyoungmanthatasthecurtainfellonthepartingofthetwoactorshiseyesfilledwithtears,andhestooduptoleavethetheatre.
Indoingso,heturnedtothesideofthehousebehindhim,andsawtheladyofwhomhewasthinkingseatedinaboxwiththeBeauforts,LawrenceLeffertsandoneortwoothermen.
Hehadnotspokenwithheralonesincetheireveningtogether,andhadtriedtoavoidbeingwithherincompany;butnowtheireyesmet,andasMrs.Beaufortrecognisedhimatthesametime,andmadeherlanguidlittlegestureofinvitation,itwasimpossiblenottogointothebox.
BeaufortandLeffertsmadewayforhim,andafterafewwordswithMrs.Beaufort,whoalwayspreferredtolookbeautifulandnothavetotalk,ArcherseatedhimselfbehindMadameOlenska.
TherewasnooneelseintheboxbutMr.SillertonJackson,whowastellingMrs.BeaufortinaconfidentialundertoneaboutMrs.LemuelStruthers'slastSundayreception(wheresomepeoplereportedthattherehadbeendancing).
Undercoverofthiscircumstantialnarrative,towhichMrs.Beaufortlistenedwithherperfectsmile,andherheadatjusttherightangletobeseeninprofilefromthestalls,MadameOlenskaturnedandspokeinalowvoice.
HehadcalledonlytwiceonMadameOlenska,andeachtimehehadsentheraboxofyellowroses,andeachtimewithoutacard.
Nowhersuddenrecognitionofthegift,andherassociatingitwiththetenderleave–takingonthestage,filledhimwithanagitatedpleasure.
Tohissurprisehercolourrose,reluctantlyandduskily.Shelookeddownatthemother–of–pearlopera–glassinhersmoothlyglovedhands,andsaid,afterapause:"WhatdoyoudowhileMayisaway?"
Inobediencetoalong–establishedhabit,theWellandshadleftthepreviousweekforSt.Augustine,where,outofregardforthesupposedsusceptibilityofMr.Welland'sbronchialtubes,theyalwaysspentthelatterpartofthewinter.
Withthesehabitsnonemightinterfere;andoneofthemdemandedthathiswifeanddaughtershouldalwaysgowithhimonhisannualjourneytothesouth.
Topreserveanunbrokendomesticitywasessentialtohispeaceofmind;hewouldnothaveknownwherehishair–brusheswere,orhowtoprovidestampsforhisletters,ifMrs.Wellandhadnotbeentheretotellhim.
Asallthemembersofthefamilyadoredeachother,andasMr.Wellandwasthecentralobjectoftheiridolatry,itneveroccurredtohiswifeandMaytolethimgotoSt.Augustinealone;andhissons,whowerebothinthelaw,andcouldnotleaveNewYorkduringthewinter,alwaysjoinedhimforEasterandtravelledbackwithhim.
ThereputationoftheMingotts'familyphysicianwaslargelybasedontheattackofpneumoniawhichMr.Wellandhadneverhad;andhisinsistenceonSt.Augustinewasthereforeinflexible.
Originally,ithadbeenintendedthatMay'sengagementshouldnotbeannouncedtillherreturnfromFlorida,andthefactthatithadbeenmadeknownsoonercouldnotbeexpectedtoalterMr.Welland'splans.
Archerwouldhavelikedtojointhetravellersandhaveafewweeksofsunshineandboatingwithhisbetrothed;buthetoowasboundbycustomandconventions.
Littlearduousashisprofessionaldutieswere,hewouldhavebeenconvictedoffrivolitybythewholeMingottclanifhehadsuggestedaskingforaholidayinmid–winter;andheacceptedMay'sdeparturewiththeresignationwhichheperceivedwouldhavetobeoneoftheprincipalconstituentsofmarriedlife.
HewasconsciousthatMadameOlenskawaslookingathimunderloweredlids."Ihavedonewhatyouwished—whatyouadvised,"shesaidabruptly.
"Iunderstand—thatyouwereright,"shewentonalittlebreathlessly;"butsometimeslifeisdifficult...perplexing..."
"AndIwantedtotellyouthatIDOfeelyouwereright;andthatI'mgratefultoyou,"sheended,liftingheropera–glassquicklytohereyesasthedooroftheboxopenedandBeaufort'sresonantvoicebrokeinonthem.
OnlythedaybeforehehadreceivedaletterfromMayWellandinwhich,withcharacteristiccandour,shehadaskedhimto"bekindtoEllen"intheirabsence.
Idon'tthinkGrannyunderstandsher,oruncleLovellMingotteither;theyreallythinkshe'smuchworldlierandfonderofsocietythansheis.
Ithinkshe'sbeenusedtolotsofthingswehaven'tgot;wonderfulmusic,andpictureshows,andcelebrities—artistsandauthorsandallthecleverpeopleyouadmire.
Grannycan'tunderstandherwantinganythingbutlotsofdinnersandclothes—butIcanseethatyou'realmosttheonlypersoninNewYorkwhocantalktoheraboutwhatshereallycaresfor."
Buthehadnotmeanttoactonit;hewastoobusy,tobeginwith,andhedidnotcare,asanengagedman,toplaytooconspicuouslythepartofMadameOlenska'schampion.
ShehadBeaufortatherfeet,Mr.vanderLuydenhoveringaboveherlikeaprotectingdeity,andanynumberofcandidates(LawrenceLeffertsamongthem)waitingtheiropportunityinthemiddledistance.
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