The Washington times., 1937-03-20

The house was high on the downs,
with a view of a green plateau,
sloping down to the edge of the
chalk cliffs, and the sea beyond.
BY precipitous descent, one
climbed down to small curvlng
beach between two white cliffs, Tor
swimming. There we're usually the
sounds of sheepbells in the dis
tance. and always the air was clear
as light, cool as fresh water.
Denise and Gilbert were settled
there by the time her people ar
rived. She told him, more than
once: Mother and Father are sure
to be happy here. It's such love
" place" But whether she vas
happy there. or thought she would
be, she did not say. She said very
little to him nowadays Of her
thoughts or her emotions.
The days between her peoples
arrival and his sailing, Gilbert
realized, were difficult for one who
had no more talent for pretense
than she. She was obliged to give
an imitation of a radiantly happy
young wife, and at the same time,
of an affectionate sister.
Fortunately, her parents took
the radiantly happy, young wife
completely for granted. Felicia, he
could tell, had extreme doubts. But
he hoped Felicia was sufficiently
puzzled by Denise's attitude to
herself, to have little leisure to
speculate on precisely what lay be-
hind her attitude to her husband.
Well, Denise was alternately
aloof to him and apologetic for
that aloofness, which was worse.
She was solicitous about Felicia
(who still looked fragile enough
for the wind over the downs to
blow away, and whose beauty was
dimmed a little), but she punctu-
ated that solicitude with moods of
sharp, unreasonable antagoniSm,
unreasonable because of the triV-
iality of the occasions which pre-
cipitated it. Felicia'S least casual
expression of opinion seemed suf-
3icient.
In those days he had one long
conversation with Michael Rem
dale and his wife. They had asked
his advice about Felicia, as if he
were really their son. And he who
grew fonder of his parents-in-law
every hour he spent with them,
but considered them trifle too
gentle to cope with modernity, did
not know what to tell them!
The Dayne family were deter.
mined that Eustace divorce Felicia
He refused. Therefore they'd taken
away the big salary which had al
ways been given him ror his entire,
ly lnconsequential work in the vari.
Gus family businesses. They we're
so bitter that they were even in.
discreet, and stated with consider.
able publicity that not one penny
more OF their money would ever 60
to that woman"
Eustace came to his parents-in
law and said two sentences:
IF Felicia wants divorce, have
her let me know
IF Felicia wants me back, next
week or next month or ever, III
come back" And he took his de
parture, to spend the summer with
his friends near Santa Fe, the
Rendales thought.
Keith Sheldie, jr., as far as they
knew, never communicated with
Felicia at all. Nor did they cues
tion her about him, or about hel
feelings toward Eustace.
Sara Rendae told Gilbert: "She
has been so i'll, and still ISM
strong. We haven't wished tt
trouble her. Besides, I doubt thai
we should have. in any case. Il
she wants to talk to us, she will.
Felicia clearly did not want t.
talk to anyone, about anything
more serious than clothes, wealth
er, the kind of crossing theyc
had, the scenery of Sussex. Gil
bert thought she lived in a kline
of suspense. as if she were filling
in time. while she waited fol
something.
He had an idea that she SUI
fered in her thoughts. But TO
her sutferings he had very littl