She took unusual pains with her dress that afternoon, and it was a very

smart, slightly rouged and rather swaggering Audrey who made her first

call in weeks on Natalie that afternoon.

Natalie was a little stiff, still slightly affronted.

"I thought you must have left town," she said. "But you look as though

you'd been having a rest cure."

"Rouge," said Audrey, coolly. "No, I haven't been entirely resting."

"There are all sorts of stories going about. That you're going into

a hospital; that you're learning to fly; that you're in the secret

service?"

"Just because I find it stupid going about without a man!" Natalie eyed

her shrewdly, but there was no self-consciousness in Audrey's face.

If the stories were true, and there had been another woman, she was

carrying it off well.

"At least Chris is in France. I have to go, when I go, without Clay. And

there is no excuse whatever."

"You mean--he is working?"

"Not at night. He is simply obstinate. He says he is tired. I don't

really mind any more. He is so hatefully heavy these days."

"Heavy! Clay!"

"My dear!" Natalie drew her chair closer and lowered her voice. "What

can one do with a man who simply lives war? He spends hours over the

papers. He's up if the Allies make a gain, and impossible if they don't.

I can tell by the very way he slams the door of his room when he comes

home what the news is. It's dreadful."

Audrey flushed.

"I wish there were more like him."

But Natalie smiled tolerantly.

"You are not married to him. I suppose the war is important, but I don't

want it twenty-four hours a day. I want to forget it if I can. It's

hideous."

Audrey's mouth twitched. After all, what was the good of talking to

Natalie. She would only be resentful.

"How is the house coming on?" she asked.

She had Natalie on happy ground there. For a half-hour she looked at

blueprints and water-color sketches, heard Rodney's taste extolled,

listened to plans for a house-party which she gathered was, rather

belatedly, to include her. And through it all she was saying to herself, "This is his wife. This is the woman he loves. He has had a child by

her. He is building this house for her. He goes into her room as Chris

came into mine. And she is not good enough. She is not good enough."




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