Married women -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Rich people -- Fiction; Women -- Societies and clubs -- Fiction
Cicily stirred animatedly, casting off her assumed listlessness, in the
bliss of this honest tribute from him who had so sternly flouted her
aforetime. Her eyes of gold lighted radiantly as they were lifted to
his.
"Oh, no--a big liar, I'm very much afraid." She leaned forward, and her
voice was gloating as she continued: "Oh, Charles, isn't it just
splendid! And it was all so gloriously simple! Why, it isn't on my
conscience one tiny little bit. You see, they lied, and so, of course, I
was justified in lying. It was to save you, and to help our workers down
there. So, I lied, and I'm glad of it." She gurgled unrestrainedly for a
moment. "Do you know, Charles, dear, a woman can beat a man lying, any
time!... Oh, it's great!"
But Hamilton, not being under the thrall of intuitions, was not yet
ready to rejoice over a victory that remained to be won.
"Wait," he admonished. "You know, we haven't heard from Johnson yet. We
don't know what he'll do."
"Pooh!" Cicily retorted confidently, for in her wisdom she accepted the
dictum of her instinct without reserve. "If it should be necessary,
why, I'll convince him, too."
His curiosity prompted Hamilton to ask a leading question.
"How did you come to think of it?" he inquired eagerly.
"Oh, I just thought of it because--because--" Cicily halted, completely
at a loss. She knew very well how she had come to think of it. The idea
had been the kindly gift of intuition--that was all there was to it. But
the explanation of the fact to a mere man, with his finical dependence
on logic and all manner of foolishness in the way of reasoning, offered
considerable difficulty. So, she rested silent, puzzling over a means
for making the truth lucid to a member of the non-intuitional sex.
"Well, because what?" Hamilton repeated, suggestively.
"Why, just because--" Unable to find adequate words for interpreting the
cause, Cicily attempted a diversion. "And, anyhow, I'm so glad! Now, you
do see that I can help you, that I can do something for you that
counts." For the life of her, the young wife could not resist a
temptation to boast a little over her accomplishment in the world of
business. She even ventured to hint as to the "because" which she had
left unexplained. "Surely, Charles, now you must see how it's possible
for us women to help our husbands outside the home--once in a while, at
least. Really, there is some room in business on occasion for intuition,
just as there is in other things. But the few men who possess the gift
don't call it by its right name--not they! I imagine they're too busy
and prosperous to call it anything."
"You mustn't think I'm not grateful, Cicily," Hamilton answered, with
surprising meekness. "I know how much I shall owe you, if this deal goes
through." He went to the chair where his wife was sitting, and kissed
her tenderly. "Yes, you'll find me grateful enough," he repeated
earnestly, as he straightened again, and stood regarding her with
lover-like intentness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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