Men and Wives Read Online Free PDF Page B

daughter. Yes.”
    â€œDo you find that is so between your father and your sister?” asked Kate.
    â€œYes, in a way. He is bursting with pride in her. Buthis real crony is Matthew. Jermyn gets hold of Griselda.”
    â€œAh, these young families! What complex and significant things!” said Kate, giving full due to what she had missed.
    â€œThe most complex, the most significant, the most deep-rooted in the world,” said Agatha, giving it to what she had had. “The only thing is, when the break comes.”
    â€œHave you seen the Hardistys lately?” said Geraldine to Gregory, revealing that her attention was not commanded by this topic.
    â€œGriselda and Jermyn had luncheon with them today. I am so enchanted by the difference between them and us. We have pulled up enough to make it really subtle. Have you compared their pictures and ours?”
    â€œAll my pictures were given to me by my dear husband,” said Agatha, regarding walls that were a simple record of open-handedness; “given to me by him, one by one, as our life went on. Year by year we added to them together.” She put on her glasses and surveyed them, and took up her needlework. “Yes.”
    â€œWe ought to be thankful to them for ornamenting our home,” said Geraldine. “I confess to a preference for bare walls myself. I sound very ungrateful. I know many people prefer a complicated effect.”
    â€œOh, well, you have not the associations,” said Agatha, her eyes down.
    â€œHave you heard that Mr. Spong’s wife is dead?” said Geraldine to Gregory.
    â€œNo, but I knew she was very ill,” said Gregory.
    â€œYes,” said Agatha. “Yes. She is gone. Last night at nine o’clock. They feared it. I heard from Mr. Spong to-day. He must have written almost immediately.”
    â€œWell, there were three of us to break it to. That accounts for our coming early on the list,” said Geraldine.
    â€œAh, yes. Poor Mr. Spong!” said Agatha, shaking her work.
    â€œDo put away that sewing, and give the whole of yourmind to the talk,” said Gregory. “I hate you to be only half attending.”
    Agatha laid the work aside, it seemed with some pleasure in submission to Gregory, drew off her glasses and faced her audience.
    â€œOnly last week I spent an hour with her. We had tea together on Thursday, just she and I. We had a very long talk. I am very glad I had it. I was very fond of her. Poor Lucy Spong! Yes, it is a terrible change for her husband. If anyone knows what that blank means, it is I.”
    She made as if to resume her work, but folded her hands as if finding unemployment in tune with her mood.
    â€œIt is said that these things fall to our lot,” said Geraldine.
    â€œNot everything to everyone,” said Kate; “not this to us, not just this. Some of us may be better without the best and worst. We avoid one with the other.”
    â€œYes, I think that is very true,” said Agatha in a cordial tone. “We are all built for different parts of the scheme.”
    â€œYou think an easy emotional life is the best, Kate?” said Gregory.
    â€œNot perhaps the best, but the most fitting for some of us,” said Kate.
    â€œI did not know we any of us ever had it,” said Geraldine, glancing over the back of her chair. “We can never leave the other side with nothing to compensate. There must be both sides to all these emotional experiences.”
    â€œI am going to ask you all to excuse me, while I turn my back on you for a minute and write a word to Mr. Spong,” said Agatha, who had considerately concealed that she was preoccupied. “I should not like him not to hear from me as promptly as he wrote. Then I will ask you to post it, Gregory.”
    She sat down at her desk, and took paper and pen, seeming conscious of eyes upon her. “It is a difficult letter to write on the spur of the moment. I don’t