Chapter XVII
_The Midsummer Night's Ball_
And now I come to a certain chapter of my book of life which I wouldfain leave unwritten. But I am bound to set down the full truth, nomatter how unpleasant the bare, ugly facts may be. No one can blame memore hardly than I did myself, and assuredly I was well punished for mymisdoings. So here goes.
I had become jealous of Chalmers Warriner, bitterly, almost insanelyjealous; and this in spite of my sober judgment, my real innerconviction of Betty's unswerving loyalty and wholehearted love. It is ahumiliating confession for a man to make, but since I did play the foolto the top of my bent I ought to be willing to endure my penance; as itturned out, I came within an ace of paying the ultimate price of myfolly. So much by way of _apologia pro mea culpa_.
The winter, spring and early summer had passed without incident. In Juneit occurred to me that it would be well if Betty were away from the"Hundred" for the period covered by the double tragedy of FrancisGraeme's death and Eunice Trevor's mysterious taking-off. Accordingly,we went to the "Old White" for three weeks, returning to our home thefirst day of July. Betty had certainly been benefited by the change, andI hoped that the current of our family life was now to flow smoothly onfor an indefinite length of time.
The immediate rock upon which our matrimonial barque proceeded to wreckitself was the Midsummer Night's ball at "Powersthorp" on August thefourth. As Hilda Powers was Betty's most intimate friend we had motoredover early to assist in receiving the guests; half of King Williamcounty seemed to have been invited, and the crush was tremendous.
I was standing near the receiving line of ladies when Chalmers Warrinercame up; and, in spite of my secret dislike and suspicion, I could nothelp thinking how distinguished looking he was--just the sort of manthat a woman invariably favors with a second glance. And now he waslingering for that maddening hundredth part of a second over Betty'shand; I heard him whisper: "The supper waltz then?" and I saw Bettystart and flush and finally nod a smiling assent. Ignoble of me to bestanding there, actually spying on my own wife! I admit the justice ofyour censure, dear reader, but have you ever endured even the smallestpang of the jealous man's agony? One ought to be competent to testify inthis particular court.
I suppose I went through the ordinary motions of a man attending a ball;I have a vague recollection of dancing at least half a dozen times; Icomforted innumerable elderly dowagers and flagons of near-claret cup,and encouraged several flappers to venture on their first cigarette inthe friendly dusk of the pleached lime alley; I even played one rubberof auction with the colonel, the commodore, and the judge, while theywere awaiting the arrival of the rector to make up their accustomedcoterie. But my eyes were always fixed on the big clock at the end ofthe hall; according to our simple country fashion supper was invariablyscheduled for midnight, and was preceded by the principal waltz numberof the dance program.
There it came at last! the opening bars of Strauss's "On the BeautifulBlue Danube." Why is it that smiles and tears lie so close together inthe lilt and swing of a fine waltz tune? And, by that same token, thesaddest music in all the world to-day is that same "Blue Danube," thelast, faint exhalation of an old regime that, however rotten at itscore, continued to present a lovely and gracious exterior. At leastthere were no war-brides and greasy Israelitish profiteers on thepolished boards of the ancient Hofberg when Maestro Johann raised hisbaton, and his incomparable band, in their gay Hussar uniforms, breathedout the intoxicating melody which the great Brahms himself would nothave been ashamed to have composed, the veritable apotheosis of thedance.
Gone, all gone! and this old, gray world, albeit made safe fordemocracy, has yet lost something of perennial beauty and enchantmentthat can never be renewed--a broken spell, a vanished vision. The waxcandles have guttered to their sockets, the shimmering waves of colorare graying under the merciless white light of a proletarian dawn, thehaunting violins have sobbed themselves to sleep; and of all thatbrilliant, bewildering, phantasmagoric past there remains but onepoignant and exquisite echo--the "Blue Danube."
I watched Betty as she circled past me held close in the hollow ofWarriner's arm; she was looking up at him, her eyes intent and hercheeks glowing. I pushed through the throng and caught them temporarilyhalted in a re-entrant swirl of dancers. "I'll take the rest of thisturn," I announced, with small pretense of civility. Warriner would havebeen fully justified in resenting my rudeness, for this was no ordinarycase of give-and-take cutting in; but he instantly relinquished hisclaim, and I whirled Betty away to the farther end of the great hall."We won't wait for supper," I said curtly. "You know Hilda well enoughfor that, and she won't mind. Or I don't care if she does." Betty'slower lip went out and her eyes flashed. But a woman, in an emergency,can summon a control over her nerves that mere man may only wonder at."As you like, Hugh," she said with quiet composure. "I'll just slip upto the dressing room, and you can have the motor brought around to theside door, where it won't be noticed."
We exchanged only a few, indifferent words on the way home, since Zackwas acting as chauffeur and sat within easy earshot.
Betty confronted me under the swinging hall lantern of "HildebrandHundred," her small figure straight and tense as a grenadier on parade."Well?" she said briefly.
"You know what I mean," I evaded weakly enough. But she only continuedto look at me, and I had to come out in the open.
"I object to your dancing with that man," I growled.
"What man?"
"Chalmers Warriner, of course."
"Chalmers Warriner! Why----" Betty bit her lip and choked back thecoming words.
"Go on!" I demanded, instantly alert to the possible significance ofthat suddenly checked utterance.
But Betty only shook her head--mutinously so as I chose to think in mygreen-eyed madness.
"You won't tell me?" I persisted hotly.
"I can't."
"Then I've nothing more to say except just this: You are my wife, and solong as you continue to bear my name you are to have no communication ofany kind with Mr. Warriner."
Betty made no reply, and we parted without another word.
I had to be in Calverton all the following day on some law business; andI had left the "Hundred" before Betty appeared at the breakfast table.When I returned, late in the afternoon, the house was fairly upside downwith hurried preparations for a departure; everywhere trunks andhandbags were being packed for the journey, and the station car wasalready in waiting at the front door. Betty met me as usual in the lowerhall. I lifted my eyebrows interrogatively.
"You know little Hugh has been feeling the hot weather of late," sheanswered steadily, "and Doctor Marcy strongly advised a change to aNorthern climate."
"Where are you going?"
"To my Aunt Alice Crew's in Stockbridge. We can stay there throughAugust and September."
"And then?"
"Probably to the Davidsons at Irvington-on-Hudson."
"For how long?"
"That depends on you, Hugh." Betty was actually smiling as she looked upat me, and that made me angrier than ever.
"You mean until I am ready to trust you," I blurted out.
"If you like to put it that way."
The discussion had let us into an _impasse_; there was nothing more tobe said. I accompanied Betty to the Crown Ferry station, and saw mylittle family party of wife, baby, and nurse safely aboard the sleeper.Even at that last moment I should have dropped everything and gonealong had Betty given me the smallest opening. But she said no furtherword, and I could not conquer at once my masculine pride and my jealousfear. I watched the red tail lights of the train disappear around acurve, and told myself that I was the unhappiest man and the biggestfool on God's green earth.