Produced by Suzanne Shell Mary Meehan and PG Distributed Proofreaders                          THE PRICE OF THINGS                             BY ELINOR GLYN                                  1919FOREWORDI wrote this book in Paris in the winter of 191718in the midst ofbombs and raids and death Everyone was keyed up to a strange pitchand only primitive instincts seemed to stand out distinctlyLife appeared brutal and our very fashion of speaking the words weused the way we looked at things was more realisticcoarserthan intimes of peace when civilization can reassert itself again This is whythe story shocks some readers I quite understand that it might do sobut I deem it the duty of writers to make a faithful picture of eachphase of the era they are living in that posterity may be correctlyinformed about things and get the atmosphere of epochsThe story is so to speak rough hewn But it shows the danger ofbreaking laws and interfering with fatewhether the laws be of Godor of ManIt is also a psychological study of the instincts of two women which thestrenuous times brought to the surface Amaryllis with all herbreeding and gentleness reacting to natures call in her fierce fidelityto the father of her childand Harietta becoming in herself theepitome of the ageold prostituteI advise those who are rebuffed by plain words and a ruthless analysisof the result of actions not to read a single pageSignature Elinor GlynTHE PRICE OF THINGSCHAPTER IIf one consciously and deliberately desires happiness on this planesaid the Russian one must have sufficient strength of will to banishall thought The moment that one begins to probe the meaning of thingsone has opened Pandoras box and it may be many lives before onediscovers hope lying at the bottom of itWhat do you mean by thought How can one not think Amaryllis Ardayreslarge grey eyes opened in a puzzled way She was on her honeymoon inParis at a party at the Russian Embassy and until now had acceptedthings and not speculated about them She had lived in the country andwas as good as goldShe was accepting her honeymoon with her accustomed calm although it wasnot causing her any of the thrills which Elsie Goldmore her schoolfriend had assured her she should discover thereinHoneymoons Heavens But perhaps it was because Sir John was dull Helooked dull she thought as he stood there talking to the Ambassador Afine figure of an Englishman butyesdull The Russian on thecontrary was not dull He was huge and ugly and roughhewnhis eyeswere yellowishgreen and slanted upwards and his face was franklyCalmuck But you knew that you were talking to a personalityto one whohad probably a number of unknown possibilities about him tucked awaysomewhereJohn had none of these One could be certain of exactly what he would doon any given occasionand it would always be his duty The Russian wasobserving this charming English bride critically she was such a perfectspecimen of that estimable racewellshaped refined and healthy Chockfull of temperament too he reflectedwhen she should discover herselfTemperament and romance and even passion and there were shrewdness andcommonsense as wellAn agreeable task for a man to undertake her education and he wishedthat he had timeAmaryllis Ardayre asked againHow can one not think I am always thinkingHe smiled indulgentlyOh no you are notyou only imagine that you are You have questionednothingyou do right generally because you have a nice character andhave been well brought up not from any conscious determination to upliftthe soul Yesis it not soShe was startledPerhapsDo you ever ask yourself what things mean What we arewhere we aregoing What is the end of it all Noyou are happy you live from dayto dayand yet you cannot be a very young ego your eyes are toowiseyou have had many incarnations It is merely that in this one lifethe note of awakening has not yet been struck You certainly must haveneeded sleepMany lives You believe in that theoryShe was not accustomed to discuss unorthodox subjects She wasinterestedBut of coursehow else could there be justice We draw the reflex ofevery evil action and of every good one but sometimes not until the nextincarnation that is why the heedless ones cannot grasp the truththeysee no visible result of either good or evilevil in fact seemsgenerally to win if there is a balance either wayWhy are we not allowed memory then so that we might profit byour lessonsWe should in that case improve from selfinterest and not have ourfaults eliminated by suffering We are given no conscious memory ofour last life so we go on fighting for whatever desire still holdsus until its achievement brings such overwhelming pain that thedesire is no moreWhy do you say that for happiness we must banish thoughtthat seemsa paradoxShe was a little disturbedI said if one _consciously_ and deliberately desired happiness one mustbanish thought to bring oneself back to the condition of hundreds ofpeople who are happy many of them are even elementals without souls atall They are permitted happiness so that they may become so attached tothe earth plane that they willingly return and gradually obtain a soulBut no one who is allowed to think is allowed any continued happinessthere would be no progress If so we should remain as brutesThen how cruel of you to suggest to me to think I want to behappyperhaps I do not want to obtain a soulThat was born long agomy words may have awakened it once more but thesleep was not deepAmaryllis Ardayre looked at the crowds passing and repassing in thosestately roomsTell me who is that woman over there she asked The