Show ti wr 1 r-ii r l U I a S I I CHAPTER X Continued X j I 12 12 W Weak tI misery blotted out all other I emotions emotions' and she turned desperately desperate desperate- ly h y toward the duty o of the minute tow toward rd the wrapping and tying o of presents the heaping of bundles the fastening of trimmings on the tree that stood in lone cold state in inthe inthe th the downstairs dr drawing wing room It was cold in the drawing room Victoria worked in a sweater left lett half hall the trimming undone There was was was' wano no no heart In It today Christ Christmas Christ Christ- mas had always 1 been a wi wildly festi festive fest fest- i lye ive e time in the Hardisty family family- even the dreadful first Christmas when Quentin and Vicky and Gwen had hod all been ill It would be no such holiday tomorrow It would never never seem Christmas again Oh id standing standing stand stand- my ny God Vicky s sId said ing still in the middle of the room putting her hands that were sore from wires and string and tinsel that were cold and imd dirty tightly over her eyes My God what shall shallI I I do dp I I Well and what had to be done dohe i now With Vit the the rest o of the trees tree's I trimming Nurse must l help elp it was WS too much uh to do alone in this cold room room Viet Victoria ri we went out u to th the Idt kitchen and mid asked sk d Glaus Clais Claus the old German Gerp n gardener wl who o was was brewing himself some coffee coee on the laundry laundry- stove to look at the drawing room l' l rad radiators Company tomorrow Then upstairs again again to to find beds ma made le and the children dressed anc and ancl circulating about with their usual uproarious a activity Bricks cra cray cray- on vay railway trains and blackboards were all in evidence The Thc question of stockings arose nrose when were they to hang the stockings The Thc holes of the nails we had last year are all ll here herd Susan said excitedly in interested investigation at the hear hearth h- h Mother Molher the gentle twin said at her knee I if IL we we- hanged we hanged hanged- them p now might they be filled by supper supper sup sup- per 7 Oh no darling because Christmas Christ Christ- mas isn't until tom tomorrow The nursery door opened Gita shyly insinuated herself into the the- room room closed the door again Amahs sick and Mma said I could come over she said Victorias Victoria's face ac paled but there w was s no one to see sec Come Comein in in Gita Better clos close it it dear because cause Madeleine's getting all ready fo fo her bath bath bath-aren't aren't arent you my sweetheart She rubbed her face lace gently agai against 1st M Madeleine's little fluffy fy head and felt the tears hot and hurtful In her eyes again and the agony of despair in her heart At noon Quentin telephoned That you ou Vicky 2 Vi Vie Vic will you o look i in th the pocket i of my the the coat coat the gray coat coat and and see if I theres there's a littie lit lit- lit little tle tie black book there Ill I'll send down for it if It you find it it- it Just It was vas a minute Quentin the doctors doctor's wife wiCe talking it was no nolo lo longer ger only Victoria Hardisty In Ina a moment she she- vas was b back ck Its here Want Claus Glaus t to bring it in Well but wont won't that mean that youve you've no car I dent need nee it Im I'm not going out I 1 was downtown this morn morn- ing Y Everything all right A pause Then Thea Vicky said ely ly L guess guess guess' so Well dont don t get too tired l' l Ill I'll b be home early Vicky put down the telephone stood up and somehow moved blindly toward her bed In another moment she was flung upon it it in a passion of tears To have to end endall endall all this this to to have to end the happy years when she hat had felt so sui sure that she and th the children were were enough enough to to have next Chris Christmas mas day dawn on a nursery to which Daddy was a stranger the matter Vicky Magda asked l late te in J the afternoon I when Vicky from sheer inability to todo todo todo do anything more was vas lying idle on the couch near the fir fire in th the upstairs sitting r room om Matter V Vi Vicky i c k y responded brightly Too much Christmas Yes but it isn't that she said after a a pause Y You U were crying this morning What's the matter Ii l Vicky turned rais raised d eyebrows toward to- to 4 ward her in l i innocent n cent surprise broke and rind at the fire biting her ber lip What is it persisted Magda Its nothing nothing really A silence The older woman shrugged All right Magda said then Its nothing Its only Vicky began deliberately dauber tn in in a thick thle voice that c cleared as os she went on on its its only th that t I think Quentin and I arc are going to be divorced Their eyes met fully both wo women worn wom en looked back at t th the fire Feel that way about it Magda said mildly Victoria looked up I quickly You know wh why she demanded in surprise I 11 suppose so Magda said reluctantly reluctantly re re- re- re and uncomfortably She jerked her ber head in the general direction di dl- of the Morrison house Dont take take take-It it so seriously Vie Vic her mother urged after a sil silence nce in which she had obviously been casting about for something to say say Seriously Vicky blew her nose wiped he her eyes es spoke In a a 0 calmer I Im and quite determined voice not going to make any f fuss ss she said But if that's what Quentin wants I w wont won't nt stand in his way Oh but you cant can't ever be s sure re Quentin does doesn't t seem to me like a aman aman aman man who'd go very far in anything like that Look at the lovely way he is with the children Magda argued I know Vic's Vies eyes watered what makes it ft so ghastly she said in ina a whisper What have you seen seen- en Mother sh she asked after alter alteri a a pause aus Oh O Ovell well that he liked ed her Magda answered s somewhat cau cau- t And certa certainly that she was after ft r him she he added with more confidence Well she's got himl himI him Vicky said grin grimly y Vicky her mother presently began in real uneasiness uneasiness uneasiness ness you wouldn't break up a n ahome ahome home lik like this just because Quentin happened to look at another woman worn wom an f I What else can can a wor wom woman n do when everything she's ever loved and trusted trusted- Vicky stopped abruptly choked by the tears that rose in her throat t. t After all one has some pride she added in a lower ton tone Oh Ob its it's all so horrible she said bitterly hall half aloud Its all such sucha a nightmare Shed She'd marry him like a a. shot Magda predicted Shed get a divorce divorce divorce di di- vorce and a big settlement from Spencer Morrison and ana then shed she'd marry Quentin She can can Vicky said trembling She knows Quentin is is' going t to tobe tobe be the tha biggest of them all Mag Magda ia wen went on ori How old Is he Vic Forty five nearly five nearly forty Ah Ak well Magda said the time they get them Victoria did not question this cryptic comment she w was s 's hot flot lis us- us ls- ls Its flUs like a de death th Vicky said Its Us worse than a ad death ath Oh Lord Lord no no it isn't V c. c It happens all rill the time But it never s seemed em d as as if if it would happen tc to me Vick- Vick Vicky fell into brooding thought It ends ev ev everything everything everything that I ever ever ver built Into my life she said And perhaps Im I'm wrong Perhaps men like the sort of women who g go right righton righton righton on in marriage and have their own aa affairs rs Perhaps a home and children children children chil chil- dren and a woman who loves him aJen arent aren't t enough Oh Oh I wouldn't say that Magda said soothingly But something in her c cof completely f false tone made Vicky la laugh gh suddenly But you think that dont don't you Mother she asked looking up her haggard che cheeks cheek's ks k's suddenly scarlet Well yes yes and and no Magda said pondering I think most men would like a wife mother-wife and a a-a a a showoff showoff showoff show- show off wife she form formulated it slowly They love home first and to to find finda a big steak ready and a fire and kids all nil washed and fresh and ready to be shushed of oil to bed bcd and someone someone someone some some- one to love them love them in a quiet sort of way way And then they like Jike another woman to flatter them and meet them places and be admired cons considered dered this this- a faint scowl vl between her heavy brows And what would a man think of ofa ofa a a. wife who felt lt that way J JOh Oh well you cant can't go by that Vicky Magda Magd assured her hastily No you o C cant can't t go O by anything ICKy VicKy V agreed In the old days you see it was I I harder for em ml M l Magda presently observed d as as' as s' s if it Harder for fol- wives No harder for the other women worn wom en en- How v dY u rn mean an h harder Well Weli before bei re there was was so much divorce Magda offered simply A woman had t to be e a mans man's mistress th and that wasn't so good Other Other Oth Oth er or women wouldn't speak to her herand and th the the- theman man himself got pretty sick of it after a while Then he lie came back to his w wife f If It she as a spineless fool tool supplIed supplied sup sup- pU plied d Vicky She have much choice That's the way things were were That isn't the yay way things are arc arenow arenow now Women have changed all that at least God knows ws Its It's not fair even now that men can do what they do do and get aw away y with it But at least leat p a n woman doesn't have to tomake tomake tomake make make a doormat of herself In the old days she forgave him and rind In a few weeks he forgot all about it Magda saidI saidI saidI said I haven't any doubt he did But now his wife wile gets a divorce and then he has to marry the thc other woman and she's Mrs Jo Joe Jones or whatever it is is and she's won out Not always Vicky said The Theman Theman Theman man is apt to fin find that that he didn't vant want her quite as much as he thought he did Oh Ob the man usually Is stung then Magda agreed I know one fellow in New York York terribly terribly nice chap she further c. c expanded it it paying three alimonies It I keeps him broke poor kid He wants to marry a dear friend of mine Pearl Victoria was not listening Quentin may wreck my life ille she said But I wonder how hell he'll feel when he discovers that hes he's wrecked his own lost his children made himself himsel ridiculous ridiculous- She paused As far as the children go if ifa ifa ifa a man is successful and makes makes' money Magda said they pretty soon find good reasons for getting back to him He takes one to Europe Eu Eu- rope or he gives another a car carthey carthey carthey car car- they dont don't take sides You never resented anything I did poor kid Yes but that was my mother I know But I was the one who got out out out-I I threw Keith Herrendeen over You know Vie Vic its it's an awful mistake to bring children into a quarrel because they dont don't understand understand understand under under- stand and it just scares them I c certainly wouldn't bring them into this Victoria protested almost Indignantly Well I didn't suppose you would All you tell cm em is that Daddy is going to be away for a while and that you ou feel happy about it Oh jOb my God Victoria prayed in an nn agonized whisper as the thc full sense of he her own own om h helplessness and of the desperate despera t nature of the situation situation situation situ situ- strengthened in her r h heart rt D Daddy going to be away for r a while no no Quentin to come into her room from the dressing room room in in- tlc the early morning when spring light was widening over the the wet garden and md I andI MIc 11 g z But Mind l You Im I'm Not Advising Advising Advis Advis- ing ine- You a wood tire fire was vas snapping ng No tired doctor for whom to call at t the office omee so proudly so lovingly in the late lale II afternoons afternoons and drive home to warmth and fire and heartening din din- I ner ncr No picnic on the scimitar shore shor of Half Hal Moon Bay with QuentIn's big figure recumbent and asleep on the sand and small forms barelegged to the hip digging digging digging dig dig- ging and rind running in the level warm rush of Va waves ves 1 Feel happy about it sh she e echoed bitterly And in despair she added I shall never feel happy again Theres There's nothing I I I- Ican can do Whatever I do is wrong People get over divorce Magda Magda Mag Mag- da siad I never wil will Funny thing Magda m mused sed as asher asher asher her daughters daughter's bitter i ter laugh die died l laway away into silence e and the room was still If a a av w v woman m n-I n I mean the wife now now now- now could could o d only K keep p her mouth shut and wait walt shed she'd win out every time You Yo mean mean kiss a man and be bekind bekind bekind kind to him and d' d keep keep- his house com comfortable kand and let him go off ofT to the oth other r tv woman man whenever r Ii h he e likes Vi Victoria tori asked in in n a proud quick v voice ice Yep About that that You mean knowing that he was unfaithful knO t he despised her and wanted to getaw y from her knowing that another v woman man I was reveling in i his lis his compliments and presents presents in in the l love V that belonged belonged be be- longed to to her to keep it up for weeks weeks' weeks weeks- The indignant summary halted Victoria her cheeks heeks scarlet scarlet scarlet scar scar- let was looking a challenge at her mother Weeks I Magda c echoed c h hoe o e d d. d Months anyway Years Years' maybe Years Vicky echoed And with witha a brief and mirthless laugh she plunged plunged- plunged her her head into her hr hands and rumpled her hair You make me laugh she muttered scornfully You see sec she wants something that youve you've got Magda offered mildly Well WeH she can have it So that its it's a sod sort of compliment in a way You have hav to look at it like that Vie Vic Youve You've got to well to-well well face the facts Quentin is a a ater terribly terribly ter ter- ter attractive fell fellow v. v. v Women like him and hes he's always going doing to be around them them them-that's that's part of ot being r r. doctor Dont Don't be a fool about It t tand and run your head into the sand like I Ia a giraffe or whatever it is A strange woman will always have something for a man that his wife wile hasn't cotto got cot to Yes and a strange man something something something some some- thing for a woman Vick Vicky put in hotly holly triumphantly So that if 11 I wanted anted to run around with with well well say Dr Bledsoe Quentin Quentin Quen Quen- tin would presumably wait for me and bear everything and then forget forget forget for for- get it as I if it had never been But youre you're not that sort Magda reminded herI herI herI her I should hope Im I'm not Victoria Viet Vie Vie- t toria exclaimed again with an air of scoring in the argument But strangely enough against this mother moth moth- er of hers who had known so many worthless men in so many discreditable discreditable dis dis- dis creditable ways and who so rarely argued or Indeed said anything considerable considerable considerable con con- at all she could not seem to score today u You dont don't think Mother Vic Vie asked quietly that any woman who had borne a man children spent y years ars of caro care and love on his own child nursed him when he was wasill wasIll ill ill worried over his bills and his diet for seven years years you you dont don't think that that woman can calmly put up with his setting up a a-a a a mistress and shaming her and wronging her and wronging his own children too And then when hes he's tired Victoria rushed on on warming to her subject and comes home calmly she is to forgive him and make a fuss over him again Well perhaps there are women who could do it it but Im I'm not |