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A Natural Obstacle
by
“He was inconsequent.”
“He admitted that he was inconsequent, but it would take ten generations to get used to the new conditions.”
“Then he must not go to meetings either?”
“That was quite a different matter, for his meetings were attended by men only. He didn’t mind her going out without him; what he didn’t like was that she went out alone with so many men.”
“She wouldn’t be alone, for the cashier’s wife would be present as–“
“As what?”
“As the cashier’s wife.”
“Then couldn’t he be present as her husband?”
“Why did he want to make himself so cheap by being in the way?”
“He didn’t mind making himself cheap.”
“Was he jealous?”
“Yes! Why not? He was afraid that something might come between them.”
“What a shame to be jealous! What an insult! What distrust! What did he think of her?”
“That she was perfect. He would prove it. She could go alone!” “Could she really? How condescending of him!”
She went. She did not come home until the early hours of the morning. She awakened her husband and told him how well it had all gone off. He was delighted to hear it. Somebody had made a speech about her; they had sung quartets and ended with a dance.
“And how had she come home?”
“The young ass had accompanied her to the front door.”
“Supposing anybody who knew them had seen her at three o’clock in the morning in the company of the young ass?”
“Well, and what then? She was a respectable woman.”
“Yes, but she might easily lose her reputation.”
“Ah! He was jealous, and what was even worse, he was envious. He grudged her every little bit of fun. That was what being married meant! To be scolded if one dared to go out and enjoy oneself a little. What a stupid institution marriage was! But was their union a true marriage? They met one another at night, just as other married couples did. Men were all alike. Civil enough until they were married, but afterwards, oh! Afterwards…. Her husband was no better than other men: he looked upon her as his property, he thought he had a right to order her about.”
“It was true. There was a time when he had believed that they belonged to one another, but he had made a mistake. He belonged to her as a dog belonged to its master. What was he but her footman, who called for her at night to see her home? He was ‘her husband.’ But did she want to be ‘his wife’? Were they equals?”
“She hadn’t come home to quarrel with him. She wanted to be nothing but his wife, and she did not want him to be anything but her husband.”
The effect of the champagne, he thought, and turned to the wall.
She cried and begged him not to be unjust, but to–forgive her.
He pulled the blankets over his ears.
She asked him again if he–if he didn’t want her to be his wife any more?
“Yes, of course, he wanted her! But he had been so dreadfully bored all the evening, he could never live through another evening like it.”
“Let them forget all about it then!”
And they forgot all about it and continued loving one another.
On the following evening, when the green forester came for his wife, he was told that she had gone to the store rooms. He was alone in the counting-house and sat down on a chair. Presently a glass door was opened and the young ass put in his head: “Are you here, Annie?”
No, it was only her husband!
He rose and went away. The young ass called his wife Annie, and was evidently on very familiar terms with her. It was more than he could bear.
When she came home they had a scene. She reproached him with the fact that he did not take his views on the emancipation of women seriously, otherwise he could not be annoyed at her being on familiar terms with her fellow-clerks. He made matters worse by admitting that his views were not to be taken seriously.