Evening star., 1921-10-02
Translated From the French by
WILLIAM l.. MCPHERSON.


1 S usual. we have arrived at
- ~ the station an hour ahead
~ OF time" said Simone. in an
irritated tone, as she took
her seat in the car.
Robert Prizale was SO afraid of
missing the train that he had set his
watch all hour ahead and had hur-
ried up their preparations for departure.
Did we get here SO much too
soon?" he said.
Slmone stamped her foot on the
floor. Her little figure shook with i'll
dienation.
rua,s a mans honesty for you.
AND its the same WIN everything
else"
An older couple climbed into the
car and took seats. SimoTe lowered
her voice. but continued the dis
pute. becoming 50 aggressive tnat
Robert answered her SHARPLY. .
They mad been married four years.
and had quarreied t.ius three or four
times a week on an average. SimUne
always opened hostilities on one pre-
text or another. generally trif1ilg,
for Robert rarely did anything to Of
fend her.
Very, patie nteat first. he had tried to
Lsootas her. hbut without success. She
became more and more exasperated
and savage. seeking to wound him.
and quickly succeeded in doing so.
She had an excellent weapon. She
used to say that he made her more
unhappy than her first husband had
done. although she had separated from
the latter after very brief union.
Robert knew this fisst husband slight
ly and that memory. thus evoked.
awakened in him an intense jealousy.
So he also became furious, and the
two exchanged biting words and un-
just repSoaches until exhaustion and
Simone's tears brought a period of
calm. followed by a reconciliation.
Simone. relieved and tranquilized
then became once more the exquisite
woman whom Robert adored. The
after effects of their quarrels were
so delicious that he would not have re-
GREETED the quarrels themselves had
they been little less violent and
bitter. But Simone. when she was en-
ragged. seemed so odious and said such
insulting things that he sometimes
doubted whether she loved him.
The dispute in the train not having
had a chance to develop unhampered.
Simone was unable TO relieve her
wrath and remained in a state of ten
sion during the whole trip. 1t was
only after they reached the watering
place where they were going for a
few weeks that she could relax her
nerves by a scene with a real climax.
with her husband, in their room at
the hotel.
IN the days that followed the world
saw them in perfect accord, at the
hotel. in the restaurant, at the casino.
on the boardwalk, although they were
'inwardly distant and hostile and ex-
changed only a minimum Of polite
words. But Simone'S animosities
couldn't find any satisfaction in the
thin pastures of glacial aloofness
or a frosty disdain. 1t was necessary
vehement language. She did this
sometimes in public. whispering her
abuse into the ear of her fidgeting
husband. 1t was in their hotel room,
however. that the crises were staged
more effectively-so well. in fact. that
the neighbors were made completely
aware of their troubles. In these mo-
ments, when love is eclipsed by
anger, they had the air of hating
each other and of being. both of
them. the victims of detestable union.
One evening (by some miracle they
had just spent three days without
wrangling) they were sitting at tea
table in the salon of the hotel. Be-
cause Robert at dinner had looked at
a young woman a. little too decolette
Simone started a violent discussion.
which was so much more fiery be-
cause she had been treasuring up her
indignation during the 'repaSt.
Robert had for some time been op-
posing only pacificatory silence to
his wife's unjust accusations. When
simone launched a scene he knew
that it must run its course and that
the best thing to do was to end it as
quickly as possible. He therefore
answered her sharply. suggesting that
other women. too. wore their dresses
cut very low. They did this to at
tract attention. They shouldn't be
astonished. then. If their neighbors
also attracted attention. Simone took
this as a direct, attack and became
even more infiamed. for Robert was
drawing influences rejecting on her
morality Thoroughly incensed. con-
scious of her own virtue (for show
ing a beautiful neck and shoulders in
public is a woman's natural right. II
she has them, and is. at the worst.
only a harmless bit of coquetry). she
exploded the harshest determinations.
and her rising voice carried to all the
adjoining tables. Robert was greatly
annoved.
well you have had enough of this
sort Of life" he said: so have l.
calm yourself! Say nothing! Don't
answer me, please" he implored of
Simone in q tone. so changed. so low
and SO tender, that she was dunn
founded.
"what is the matter" she asked.
still trembling with anger. but lit
tie uneasy. "Are you ill?"
"T never felt better in my life
NV dear. You are always a thousand
time foo considerate where I am con-
cerneds' he. said IN loud voice.
bending toward her and smiling ra-
diantly,