Part 8 (2/2)
”Not only my privilege, but my duty! I owe it to my self-respect, to my social position, to my standing as your wife--the wife of a prominent man of affairs--to have at my command a sum of ready money when I need it. You know perfectly well, I do not want it for anything wrong--or for anything that I want to keep secret from you. You know I have never had a secret from you nor do I wish to have! I simply want to do as other women do--even the poorest, the meanest man, will give his wife an allowance, a little something that is absolutely her own.
Why, most of the women of my set have a checking account at the bank--they all have a personal allowance!”
”So?” Embury took up another cigarette. ”You may remember, Eunice, I have spoken my last word on the subject.”
”And you may remember that I have not! But I will--and right now. And it is simply that since you refuse me the pleasure and convenience of some money for everyday use, I shall get some from another source.”
Embury's eyes narrowed, and he surveyed his wife with a calm scrutiny.
Then he smiled.
”Stenography and typewriting?” he said; ”or shall you take in plain sewing? Cut out the threats, Eunice; they won't get you anywhere!”
”They'll get me where I want to arrive! Don't say I didn't warn you--I repeat, I shall get money for my personal use, and you will have no right to criticize my methods, since you refuse me a paltry sum by way of allowance.”
Eunice was standing, her two hands tightly grasping a chair-back as she looked angrily at Embury, who still seated lazily, blew smoke rings toward her. She was magnificent in her anger, her cheeks burned crimson, her dark eyes had an ominous gleam in them and her curved lips straightened into a determined line of scarlet. Her muscles were strained and tense, her breath came quickly, yet she had full control of herself and her pose was that of a crouching, waiting tiger rather than a furious ode.
Embury was full of admiration at the beautiful picture she made, but pursuant of his inexorable plan, he rose to ”tame” her.
”'Tiger, tiger, burning bright,'” he quoted, ”you must take back that speech--it is neither pretty nor tactful--”
”I have no wish to be tactful! Why should I? I am not trying to coax or cajole you! You refuse my request--you have repeatedly refused me--now, I am at the end of my patience, and I shall take matters into my own hands!”
”Lovely hands!” he murmured, taking them in his own. ”You have unusually pretty hands, Eunice; it would be a pity to use them to earn money.”
”Yet that is my intention. I shall get money by the work of these hands. It will be in a way that you will not approve, but you have forfeited your right to approve or disapprove.”
”That I have not! I am your husband--you have promised to obey me--”
”A mere form of words--it meant nothing!”
”Our marriage ceremony meant nothing?”
”If it did, remember that you endowed me with all your worldly goods--”
”And I give them to you, too! Do you know that nine-tenths of my yearly expenditures are for your pleasure and benefit! I enjoy our home, too, but it would not be the elaborate, luxurious establishment that it is, but that it suits your taste to have it so! And then, you whine and fret for what you yourself call a paltry matter! Ingrate!”
”Don't you dare call me ingrate! I owe you no grat.i.tude! Do you give me this home as a charity? As a gift, even! It is my right! And it is also my right to have a bank account of my own! It is my right to uphold my head among other women who laugh at me, who ridicule me, because, with all your wealth, I have no purse of my own! I will not stand it! I rebel! And you may rest a.s.sured things are going to be different hereafter. I will get money--”
”You shall not!” Embury grasped the wrists of the hands he still held, and his face was fiercely frowning. ”You are my wife, and whatever you may or may not owe to me, you owe it to our position, to our standing in the community to do nothing beneath your dignity or mine!”
”You care nothing for my dignity, for my appearance before other women, so why should I consider your dignity? You force me to it, and it is therefore your fault if I--”
”What is it you propose to do? How are you going to get this absurd paltry sum you are making such a fuss about?”
”That I decline to tell you--”
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