The Age of Innocence--Edith Wharton [132]
Mr. and Mrs. van der Luyden could not remain deaf to such a call, and reluctantly but heroically they had come to town, unmuffled the house, and sent out invitations for two dinners and an evening reception.
On this particular evening they had invited Sillerton Jackson, Mrs. Archer, and Newland and his wife to go with them to the opera, where Faust was being sung for the first time that winter. Nothing was done without ceremony under the van der Luyden roof, and though there were but four guests the repast had begun at seven punctually, so that the proper sequence of courses might be served without haste before the gentlemen settled down to their cigars.
Archer had not seen his wife since the evening before. He had left early for the office, where he had plunged into an accumulation of unimportant business. In the afternoon one of the senior partners had made an unexpected call on his time, and he had reached home so late that May had preceded him to the van der Luydens’ and sent back the carriage.
Now, across the Skuytercliff carnations and the massive plate, she struck him as pale and languid; but her eyes shone, and she talked with exaggerated animation.
The subject which had called forth Mr. Sillerton Jackson’s favourite allusion had been brought up (Archer fancied not without intention) by their hostess. The Beaufort failure, or rather the Beaufort attitude since the failure, was still a fruitful theme for the drawing-room moralist; and after it had been thoroughly examined and condemned Mrs. van der Luyden had turned her scrupulous eyes on May Archer.
‘‘Is it possible, dear, that what I hear is true? I was told your grandmother Mingott’s carriage was seen standing at Mrs. Beaufort’s door.’’ It was noticeable that she no longer called the offending lady by her Christian name.
May’s colour rose, and Mrs. Archer put in hastily: ‘‘If it was, I’m convinced it was there without Mrs. Mingott’s knowledge.’’
‘‘Ah, you think—?’’ Mrs. van der Luyden paused, sighed, and glanced at her husband.
‘‘I’m afraid,’’ Mr. van der Luyden said, ‘‘that Madame Olenska’s kind heart may have led her into the imprudence of calling on Mrs. Beaufort.’’
‘‘Or her taste for peculiar people,’’ put in Mrs. Archer in a dry tone, while her eyes dwelt innocently on her son’s.
‘‘I’m sorry to think it of Madame Olenska,’’ said Mrs. van der Luyden; and Mrs. Archer murmured: ‘‘Ah, my dear—and after you’d had her twice at Skuytercliff!’’
It was at this point that Mr. Jackson seized the chance to place his favourite allusion.
‘‘At the Tuileries,’’ he repeated, seeing the eyes of the company expectantly turned on him, ‘‘the standard was excessively lax in some respects; and if you’d asked where Morny’s money came from—! Or who paid the debts of some of the court beauties . . .’’
‘‘I hope, dear Sillerton,’’ said Mrs. Archer, ‘‘you are not suggesting that we should adopt such standards?’’
‘‘I never suggest,’’ returned Mr. Jackson imperturbably.‘‘But Madame Olenska’s foreign bringing up may make her less particular—’’
‘‘Ah,’’ the two elder ladies sighed.
‘‘Still, to have kept her grandmother’s carriage at a defaulter’s door!’’ Mr. van der Luyden protested; and Archer guessed that he was remembering, and resenting, the hampers of carnations he had sent to the little house in Twenty-third Street.
‘‘Of course, I’ve always said that she looks at things quite differently,’’ Mrs. Archer summed up.
A flush rose to May’s forehead. She looked across the table at her husband and said precipitately: ‘‘I’m sure Ellen meant it kindly.’’
‘‘Imprudent people are often kind,’’ said Mrs. Archer, as if the fact were scarcely an extenuation; and Mrs. van der Luyden murmured: ‘‘If only she had consulted someone—’’
‘‘Ah, that she never did!’’ Mrs. Archer rejoined.
At this point Mr. van der Luyden glanced at his wife, who bent her head slightly in the direction of Mrs. Archer, and the glimmering trains of the three ladies swept out of the door while the gentlemen settled down to their cigars. Mr. van der Luyden supplied short ones on opera nights, but they were