All her planning,
her dress and ardor and moods, were directed to one never-lost-sight-of
end; but he disposed his attention in a hundred channels. Lee began to
be aware of the tremendous single economy of women, the constant
bending back of their instincts to a single preeminent purpose.
Yet everywhere, now, women had concentrated in a denial of that: the
men he knew hadn't a monopoly of restlessness. Even Fanny, in the
parading of all her rings, had not been oblivious of it. But it wasn't
so much that women denied their fundamental urgency as it was that they
wanted it exercised under other, more rapturous, conditions.
Inexplicably, and a great many at once, women had grown aware of the
appalling difference between what they might demand and what they had
been receiving. In consequence of this the world of masculine
complacency was being dealt some rude blows. But Lee Randon couldn't
hope to go into this; the problem was sufficiently complicated from his
side of the fence. There were, immediately, the practical developments
of his undertaking to be met. He served nothing by putting them off. He
must write, but through his lawyers, to William Grove and find out what
action he proposed to take, what arrangements for divorce could be
facilitated. A letter--there could be no saving impersonality here--to
Fanny was more difficult.
From Havana, his approval of Fanny was very complete; he understood
her, made allowances, now better than at any time during their
marriage; given what, together, they were, her conduct had been
admirable.
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