Artists -- Relations with women -- Fiction; Artists -- United States -- Fiction
Angela saw nothing of this attraction for some time. She was not
prepared yet to believe, poor little depender on the conventions as she
understood them, that the world was full of plots and counter-plots,
snares, pitfalls and gins. The way of the faithful and well-meaning
woman in marriage should be simple and easy. She should not be harassed
by uncertainty of affection, infelicities of temper, indifference or
infidelity. If she worked hard, as Angela was trying to do, trying to be
a good wife, saving, serving, making a sacrifice of her time and
services and moods and wishes for her husband's sake, why shouldn't he
do the same for her? She knew of no double standard of virtue. If she
had she would not have believed in it. Her parents had raised her to see
marriage in a different light. Her father was faithful to her mother.
Eugene's father was faithful to his wife--that was perfectly plain. Her
brothers-in-law were faithful to her sisters, Eugene's brothers-in-law
were faithful to his sisters. Why should not Eugene be faithful to her?
So far, of course, she had no evidence to the contrary. He probably was
faithful and would remain so. He had said so, but this pre-matrimonial
philandering of his looked very curious. It was an astonishing thing
that he could have deceived her so. She would never forget it. He was a
genius to be sure. The world was waiting to hear what he had to say. He
was a great man and should associate with great men, or, failing that,
should not want to associate with anyone at all. It was ridiculous for
him to be running around after silly women. She thought of this and
decided to do her best to prevent it. The seat of the mighty was in her
estimation the place for Eugene, with her in the foreground as a
faithful and conspicuous acolyte, swinging the censer of praise and
delight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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