Affinities and Other Stories

here it went wrong. It began so well. I planned it out, and it we

to look out for herself. The minute the

ol, and in the summers we hadn't seen much of each other. She played golf all day and I had my tennis

azed at what was left of my ba

rather well last

ther," I

st of the flowers

, mo

flowers than B

and for some reason or

appreciation. Your father has spent a fortune on you, one way and anothe

mot

continue to waste your

g round with him. That

r in her best manner. "I

tance?" I as

dn't mean to marry Henry, but I di

le men in town. There are eleven débutantes. And-I don't

rily-"better looking

ings about you last night. The only thing I want to impress on you is that Madge w

Most of the othe

liability, n

y times they are a liability is when they

mpertinent," s

anything worth while, I shall have to work along my

lang. But she looked relieved too. When I think

oing to waste any

at I'm going to use Henry quite a l

l. I was putting a dab of scent behind my ears at th

alk we'd had for a long time. When she had gone I went into my bathroom and lock

rdener. When for the third time he had seen smoke coming out of my bathroom window, and had rushed upstai

a touch of rouge, I do very well. I have always worn sophisticated clothes. I thought they suited my s

rian?" I sai

uishing, prunes-and-prisming

er so, and I know my own disposition. If he criticised me, before I knew it I'd be swatting my prey with a mashie or a niblick, and everything over. Three men, mother had said. I knew w

in some married woman. I drive my own car, and I used to meet them on lonely back roads,

to let me alone. I had a year before me, until Madge came out. And I knew I could count on Henry Baring to help me all he could. He was a sort of family friend.

end flowers to débutantes, and to set up an occasional little supper to pay his way socially. But nob

hough I underestimated his hair. I've said I had brains. Well, I had too many brains. Mother was right-th

use a lot of people are saying I t

om and take the first verse my eyes fell on for a sort of motto through life. Mine was to the effect that as a partridge sits on eggs and f

enry's help it was going to be a hard pull. Russell Hill was spoiled. Probably out of the other eleven at least nine had Russell in the backs of their heads. And he knew every move of the game

lf lesson, so I sent the rest of my cigarettes down to the drawing room and picked up a book. I remember only one line of th

hand in his coat

how fond she was of him. And after a moment, she said, he always put his hand in, too, over hers. And he

wers, but he probably did what all the others did-had a standing order and a box of his cards at the florist's. I wasn't fooled for a minute. To him I was a flapper, nothing else. Whether fl

body talked about the ball, and said it had been wonderful, and I s

t North picked it up and took it to the light. Margaret

Kit," she said. "Sist

ly. "Beauty's not everything. The gir

re doesn't count any more. Anybody can ha

t brains?

a squeal

ering. "Hide 'em. Disguise 'em

t in, "Kit isn't worr

. They would ask us together, and put us together at dinners, and talk about us together. In the end everybody would think of us to

ever. They were just instinctive. I could have screamed. And having disposed of me, having handcuffed

t Russell's name was mentioned there was a difference. They didn't talk so much and they eyed each other more. Ella Clavering put both lemon and cream in her tea, and drank it without noticing.

dly, "that Russell is ready to bring hi

of electric sil

rson to land Russell after Toots," I

ding in front of a mirror and I had my eyes on her. Evidently what I had said made an impress

s, dear," I said. "You nee

ts Warrington, with the large pearls she always wore in her ears-T

hat reminded him of her. I could see the crowd of them swaggering in at the next party, in their best imitation of Toots Warrington, with eyes slightly narrowed