American fiction -- 20th century; Manhattan (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction; Women artists -- Fiction
"Get to hell out of here!" she shouted, then turned on her guests.
Ulick, shamefaced, stammered an excuse as he helped Paul to his feet.
This proved the acme of Dora's unhappiness. "As for you two, you clear
out. I've no use for you. Always hanging around with your nasty messing
ways. Clear out, both of you, or I'll call the police. Ruining my
reputation with your scrapping. I won't have it here, I tell you. My
lease says no fighting is allowed on the premises, and what have you
fellows been doing? Get away. I won't hear any excuses. And fighting
about two ladies"--she sarcastically lowered her voice at the mention
of ladies--"Nice ladies they must be. Sly sluts, that's what they
are. Don't tell me. Little Dora knows your fine society dames, your
artistic ladies--whores the whole lot of them." With that she bundled
her "gentlemen friends" out of the apartment. "Good-bye, Dodo," cried
Paul. "I'll drop in to say a last good-bye before Saturday." But the
door slammed for an answer and presently they were on the lift and soon
in the street. Paul, his good temper reasserting itself passed his arm
through the abashed Ulick's, and casually exclaimed: "I say, old man,
you have a punch! Let's walk down to the Utopian. The fresh air will do
me good. But am I thirsty!" The young men slowly moved down the Avenue
arm in arm, apparently the best of friends.... Late that night Dora
was brought home by two "lady-friends" in a shockingly intoxicated
condition.
VIII
... Time fugued. Being no longer under the obligation of visiting Dora
since the shindy he had made in her home, Ulick became truly intimate
with Mona. They lived like sensible married people. They walked in the
park. They went to the theatre, to concerts and the opera. They met
every afternoon. At least three times a week Mona took luncheon at the
Maison Felicé. She was not noticed there any more than the other ladies
who came with their lovers. She would then go afterward to Ulick's
rooms where he played Chopin for her, read to her, made love to her;
passionate love. She had revised that first hasty judgment and now
found the life sensual an entrancing experience. She had confessed to
him her disappointments, and for answer he read aloud Stendhal's Lamiel
that extraordinary unfinished fiction, with Lamiel's similar adventure.
"Is that all?" asks this disconcerting heroine, after she had bribed
with silver a stout peasant lad to induct her into the mystery of sex.
This episode revolted Mona, who saw in love, but one object--children.
Ulick realized now it was maternity suppressed that had sent her to him
knocking at his closed door. Love with her was not only a sensation,
but also a sentiment. She was not a sentimental girl. She loved Ulick,
but she loved children more. "The sacred wound of maternity" was a
phrase that appealed to her; it was thus she had heard called the
semi-mysterious function of the lunar sex; that sex upon which the moon
had impressed its rhythms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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