Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel

  CHAPTER LVI

  It is difficult to say whether Lester might not have returned toJennie after all but for certain influential factors. After a time,with his control of his portion of the estate firmly settled in hishands and the storm of original feeling forgotten, he was well awarethat diplomacy--if he ignored his natural tendency to fulfil evenimplied obligations--could readily bring about an arrangementwhereby he and Jennie could be together. But he was haunted by thesense of what might be called an important social opportunity in theform of Mrs. Gerald. He was compelled to set over against his naturaltendency toward Jennie a consciousness of what he was ignoring in thepersonality and fortunes of her rival, who was one of the mostsignificant and interesting figures on the social horizon. For thinkas he would, these two women were now persistently opposed in hisconsciousness. The one polished, sympathetic,philosophic--schooled in all the niceties of polite society, andwith the means to gratify her every wish; the other natural,sympathetic, emotional, with no schooling in the ways of politesociety, but with a feeling for the beauty of life and the lovelythings in human relationship which made her beyond any question anexceptional woman. Mrs. Gerald saw it and admitted it. Her criticismof Lester's relationship with Jennie was not that she was not worthwhile, but that conditions made it impolitic. On the other hand, unionwith her was an ideal climax for his social aspirations. This wouldbring everything out right. He would be as happy with her as he wouldbe with Jennie--almost--and he would have the satisfactionof knowing that this Western social and financial world held no moresignificant figure than himself. It was not wise to delay either thislatter excellent solution of his material problems, and after thinkingit over long and seriously he finally concluded that he would not. Hehad already done Jennie the irreparable wrong of leaving her. Whatdifference did it make if he did this also? She was possessed ofeverything she could possibly want outside of himself. She had herselfdeemed it advisable for him to leave. By such figments of the brain,in the face of unsettled and disturbing conditions, he was becomingused to the idea of a new alliance.

  The thing which prevented an eventual resumption of relationship insome form with Jennie was the constant presence of Mrs. Gerald.Circumstances conspired to make her the logical solution of his mentalquandary at this time. Alone he could do nothing save to make visitshere and there, and he did not care to do that. He was too indifferentmentally to gather about him as a bachelor that atmosphere which heenjoyed and which a woman like Mrs. Gerald could so readily provide.United with her it was simple enough. Their home then, wherever itwas, would be full of clever people. He would need to do little saveto appear and enjoy it. She understood quite as well as any one how heliked to live. She enjoyed to meet the people he enjoyed meeting.There were so many things they could do together nicely. He visitedWest Baden at the same time she did, as she suggested. He gave himselfover to her in Chicago for dinners, parties, drives. Her house wasquite as much his own as hers--she made him feel so. She talkedto him about her affairs, showing him exactly how they stood and whyshe wished him to intervene in this and that matter. She did not wishhim to be much alone. She did not want him to think or regret. Shecame to represent to him comfort, forgetfulness, rest from care. Withthe others he visited at her house occasionally, and it graduallybecame rumored about that he would marry her. Because of the fact thatthere had been so much discussion of his previous relationship, Lettydecided that if ever this occurred it should be a quiet affair. Shewanted a simple explanation in the papers of how it had come about,and then afterward, when things were normal again and gossip hadsubsided, she would enter on a dazzling social display for hissake.

  "Why not let us get married in April and go abroad for the summer?"she asked once, after they had reached a silent understanding thatmarriage would eventually follow. "Let's go to Japan. Then we can comeback in the fall, and take a house on the drive."

  Lester had been away from Jennie so long now that the first severewave of self-reproach had passed. He was still doubtful, but hepreferred to stifle his misgivings. "Very well," he replied, almostjokingly. "Only don't let there be any fuss about it."

  "Do you really mean that, sweet?" she exclaimed, looking over athim; they had been spending the evening together quietly reading andchatting.

  "I've thought about it a long while," he replied. "I don't see whynot."

  She came over to him and sat on his knee, putting her arms upon hisshoulders.

  "I can scarcely believe you said that," she said, looking at himcuriously.

  "Shall I take it back?" he asked.

  "No, no. It's agreed for April now. And we'll go to Japan. Youcan't change your mind. There won't be any fuss. But my, what atrousseau I will prepare!"

  He smiled a little constrainedly as she tousled his head; there wasa missing note somewhere in this gamut of happiness; perhaps it wasbecause he was getting old.