"Some women at tea today laughed at me. They did
nothing but describe how they held their husbands' affections; actually
that, as though it were difficult, necessary; the details were
sickening, and reminded me of that old joke about leaving off your
wedding ring. It was all too horrid! And, underneath, they were bitter
and vindictive, yes--they were uneasy, afraid of something, of
somebody, and treated every good-looking woman as a dangerous enemy. I
couldn't live like that, I'd rather die: I told them they didn't trust
the men they were married to."
"What did they say to that?" Lee asked, standing in the door.
"Agreed with me. Alice Lucian said I was damned well right she didn't
trust hers. She loved him, too, but she didn't propose to take any
liberties with the sanctity of her bed. They all thought Claire was a
fool to let Peyton see Mina Raff like that in New York--the way to
avoid trouble was to make sure it couldn't begin. Has Peyton said
anything to you about Mina Raff? She is perfectly stunning, of course,
and an actress."
"Not to me," Lee told her; then he recalled the prolonged attention to
Mina Raff on the divan at the Club. "What if he is crazy about her?" he
observed indifferently; "it can't come to anything. It won't hurt
Claire if Peyton sits out a few dances with a public idol."
"I shouldn't think so either, but the others were so positive.
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