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Updated: May 28, 2025
After a minute or two, I said, quietly: "Mr. van Tuiver, you wish me to believe that previous to your marriage you had always lived a chaste life?" He was equal to the effort it cost to control himself. He sat examining me with his cold grey eyes. I suppose I must have been as new and monstrous a phenomenon to him as he was to me.
I supposed he would ask some questions; I supposed that at least he would express his opinion of the speech, his disgust that a woman of education should make such a spectacle of herself. Such husbands as I had been familiar with had never hesitated to vent their feelings under such circumstances. But from Douglas van Tuiver there came not a word!
I may be able to change him gradually, but if I shock him all at once " "My dear Mrs. van Tuiver " I smiled. "You can't really imagine!" she persisted. "You see, he takes his social position so seriously! And when you are conspicuous when everybody's talking about what you do when everything that's the least bit unusual is magnified " "My dear girl!" I broke in again.
Trying to sweep aside these grim and terrible realities with the wave of a conventional hand! Was this the way he met Sylvia's arguments? I felt moved to tell him what I thought of him. "You are a proud man, Mr. van Tuiver an obstinate man, I fear. It is hard for you to humble yourself to your wife to admit a crime and beg forgiveness. Tell me is that why you hesitate?
"Mr. van Tuiver," said I, "I hoped that you would not take that line of argument. I perceive that I have been naive." "Really, madam!" he replied, with cruel intent, "you have not impressed me so!" I continued unshaken: "In this conversation it will be necessary to assume that you are responsible for the presence of the disease."
I am the only person who is troubled with the problem of Sylvia's rights." I waited. "May I suggest, Mrs. Mrs. Abbott that the protection of Mrs. van Tuiver's rights can be safely left to her physicians and her husband?" "One would wish so, Mr. van Tuiver, but the medical books are full of evidence that women's rights frequently need other protection."
I suspected that this was her Southern noblesse oblige, but I knew also that in my living room there were some rows of books, which would have meant more to Sylvia van Tuiver just then than the contents of several clothes-closets. I was pleased to discover that my efforts had not been wasted.
Unfortunate accidents happened, which were not always to be blamed upon the husband, nor was it a thing to contemplate lightly, the breaking up of a family. I gave a non-committal answer, and changed the subject by asking the doctor not to mention my presence in the household. If by any chance van Tuiver were to carry his sorrows to Claire, I did not want my name brought up.
This was a "jumping-off" place, said the agent, with barracks and shanties for a construction-gang; there were saloons, and what was called a hotel, but it wouldn't do for a lady. I pleaded that I was not fastidious being anxious to nullify the effect which the name van Tuiver had produced.
He explained that they had set out to meet me the previous afternoon, but had had to take refuge behind one of the keys. "How is Mrs. van Tuiver?" I asked, quickly. "She is well." "I don't suppose the baby " I hinted. "No, ma'am, not yet," said the man; and after that I felt interested in what he had to say about the storm and its effects.
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