A Maid and a Million Men: the candid confessions of Leona Canwick, censored indiscreetly by James G. Dunton
John Stuart Mill · en
“Your friend Marfield found me at the office this afternoon and
I gathered that he is hunting for you. I took the liberty of
telling him you had already left Paris for parts
unknown—although, of course, I knew you planned to leave
to-morrow morning. He wanted to know where you were going from
here, but I professed a colossal ignorance of your plans....
Just wanted to let you know about him, in case you should want
to see him or get in touch with him. He didn’t say what was on
his mind.”
Lord only knew what was on his mind. Knowing him, I knew that it was
impossible to predict anything in regard to him. All I hoped was that he
hadn’t been investigating my whereabouts at home, and that Leon hadn’t
bumped into him.... Why did a man have to be like that? He could just as
easily forget about me and mind his own business—but I knew he wouldn’t
be satisfied until he’d either got me where he wanted me or forced me to
a showdown, with all its embarrassments.
However, I was not worrying so much about him just now as I was about
Leon. I mean, if I could find my brother and put him wise to what had
happened, perhaps he could be on guard against Jay-Jay and do his part
toward insuring my safety. Also, I wanted to straighten out the tangle
in which my visit involved Lisa. I was determined to risk any
consequence at all to make up for what trouble I’d caused her, and her
husband had to be informed of the truth. It would help matters a lot if
Leon were with me when I called there.... I hadn’t the least idea where
to look for him, but I decided to go on a hunt which I hoped would
result in finding him.
The mail from Tours brought a letter from Aunt Elinor and one from Vyvy.
Aunt Elinor’s note was brief but she inclosed something else that was an
entirely different matter: a letter from Captain Winstead which began
with explaining his loss of my address and begging for my forgiveness
and ended with veiled but sincere protestations of love. He said he
wanted me to believe that that night in the garden “was not just another
night and nothing more.” I was perfectly willing to believe him, after
the way he’d talked to me about my sister—but I didn’t much care for
the way he fell in love with all these pretty mademoiselles he met. This
letter was apparently written just after he met me in Tours. I had to
answer it toute de suite and send it to Auntie.... Poor Auntie: I
guessed she was about distracted by this old war.
The most interesting part of Vyvy’s letter follows, because it is worth
preserving and I saved it to give to Leon when I saw him:
“Your attitude, my dear Leon, is beyond me. I can only surmise
as to what has happened to you and to the burning world-moving
passion which you once professed so eloquently, but I am
convinced at last that you have succumbed to the vulgar charms
of some petite mademoiselle and that the love-loving creature
has estranged you completely from me.