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“You don’t think it’s likely I should ever be willing to marry
anyone else after being Jane’s husband,” he answered.
Mrs. Tower was puzzled.
“Of course you mean that you’ve left Jane.”
“I? That's the last thing I should ever do.”
“Then why is she divorcing you?”
“She’s going to marry Sir Reginald Frobisher as soon as the
decree is made absolute.”
Mrs. Tower positively screamed. Then she felt so faint that she
had to get her smelling salts.
“After all you’ve done for her?”
“I’ve done nothing for her.”
“Do you mean to say you’re going to allow yourself to be made
use of like that?”
“We arranged before we married that if either of us wanted his
liberty the other should put no hindrance in the way.”
“But that was done on your account. Because you were twenty-
seven years younger than she was.”
“Well, it’s come in very useful for her,” he answered bitterly.
Mrs. Tower expostulated, argued, and reasoned; but Gilbert
insisted that no rules applied to Jane, and he must do exactly what she
wanted. He left Mrs. Tower prostrate. It relieved her a good deal to
give me a full account of this interview. It pleased her to see that I
was as surprised as herself, and if I was not so indignant with Jane as
she was she ascribed that to the criminal lack of morality incident to
my sex. She was still in a state of extreme agitation when the door
was opened and the butler showed in—Jane herself. She was dressed
in black and white as no doubt befitted her slightly ambiguous
position, but in a dress so original and fantastic, in a hat so striking,
that I positively gasped at the sight of her. But she was as ever bland
and collected. She came forward to kiss Mrs. Tower, but Mrs. Tower
withdrew herself with icy dignity.
“Gilbert has been here,” she said.
“Yes, I know,” smiled Jane. “I told him to come and see you.
I’m going to Paris tonight and I want you to be very kind to him
while I am away. I’m afraid just at first he’ll be rather lonely and I
shall feel more comfortable if I can count on your keeping an eye on
him.”
Mrs. Tower clasped her hands.