{"id":134,"date":"2021-05-18T11:19:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T15:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/awakening\/?post_type=chapter&p=134"},"modified":"2022-02-01T11:20:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T16:20:30","slug":"31","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/chapter\/31\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter XXXI","rendered":"Chapter XXXI"},"content":{"raw":"\u201cWell?\u201d questioned Arobin, who had remained with Edna after the others had departed.\r\n\r\n\u201cWell,\u201d she reiterated, and stood up, stretching her arms, and feeling the need to relax her muscles after having been so long seated.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat next?\u201d he asked.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe servants are all gone. They left when the musicians did. I have dismissed them. The house has to be closed and locked, and I shall trot around to the pigeon house, and shall send Celestine over in the morning to straighten things up.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe looked around, and began to turn out some of the lights.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhat about upstairs?\u201d he inquired.\r\n\r\n\u201cI think it is all right; but there may be a window or two unlatched. We had better look; you might take a candle and see. And bring me my wrap and hat on the foot of the bed in the middle room.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe went up with the light, and Edna began closing doors and windows. She hated to shut in the smoke and the fumes of the wine. Arobin found her cape and hat, which he brought down and helped her to put on.\r\n\r\nWhen everything was secured and the lights put out, they left through the front door, Arobin locking it and taking the key, which he carried for Edna. He helped her down the steps.\r\n\r\n\u201cWill you have a spray of jessamine?\u201d he asked, breaking off a few blossoms as he passed.\r\n\r\n\u201cNo; I don\u2019t want anything.\u201d\r\n\r\nShe seemed disheartened, and had nothing to say. She took his arm, which he offered her, holding up the weight of her satin train with the other hand. She looked down, noticing the black line of his leg moving in and out so close to her against the yellow shimmer of her gown. There was the whistle of a railway train somewhere in the distance, and the midnight bells were ringing. They met no one in their short walk.\r\n\r\nThe \u201cpigeon house\u201d stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre<\/i> that had been somewhat neglected. There was a small front porch, upon which a long window and the front door opened. The door opened directly into the parlor; there was no side entry. Back in the yard was a room for servants, in which old Celestine had been ensconced.\r\n\r\nEdna had left a lamp burning low upon the table. She had succeeded in making the room look habitable and homelike. There were some books on the table and a lounge near at hand. On the floor was a fresh matting, covered with a rug or two; and on the walls hung a few tasteful pictures. But the room was filled with flowers. These were a surprise to her. Arobin had sent them, and had had Celestine distribute them during Edna\u2019s absence. Her bedroom was adjoining, and across a small passage were the dining-room and kitchen.\r\n\r\nEdna seated herself with every appearance of discomfort.\r\n\r\n\u201cAre you tired?\u201d he asked.\r\n\r\n\u201cYes, and chilled, and miserable. I feel as if I had been wound up to a certain pitch\u2014too tight\u2014and something inside of me had snapped.\u201d She rested her head against the table upon her bare arm.\r\n\r\n\u201cYou want to rest,\u201d he said, \u201cand to be quiet. I\u2019ll go; I\u2019ll leave you and let you rest.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cYes,\u201d she replied.\r\n\r\nHe stood up beside her and smoothed her hair with his soft, magnetic hand. His touch conveyed to her a certain physical comfort. She could have fallen quietly asleep there if he had continued to pass his hand over her hair. He brushed the hair upward from the nape of her neck.\r\n\r\n\u201cI hope you will feel better and happier in the morning,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have tried to do too much in the past few days. The dinner was the last straw; you might have dispensed with it.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cYes,\u201d she admitted; \u201cit was stupid.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cNo, it was delightful; but it has worn you out.\u201d His hand had strayed to her beautiful shoulders, and he could feel the response of her flesh to his touch. He seated himself beside her and kissed her lightly upon the shoulder.\r\n\r\n\u201cI thought you were going away,\u201d she said, in an uneven voice.\r\n\r\n\u201cI am, after I have said good night.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cGood night,\u201d she murmured.\r\n\r\nHe did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.","rendered":"

\u201cWell?\u201d questioned Arobin, who had remained with Edna after the others had departed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d she reiterated, and stood up, stretching her arms, and feeling the need to relax her muscles after having been so long seated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat next?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe servants are all gone. They left when the musicians did. I have dismissed them. The house has to be closed and locked, and I shall trot around to the pigeon house, and shall send Celestine over in the morning to straighten things up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked around, and began to turn out some of the lights.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about upstairs?\u201d he inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is all right; but there may be a window or two unlatched. We had better look; you might take a candle and see. And bring me my wrap and hat on the foot of the bed in the middle room.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went up with the light, and Edna began closing doors and windows. She hated to shut in the smoke and the fumes of the wine. Arobin found her cape and hat, which he brought down and helped her to put on.<\/p>\n

When everything was secured and the lights put out, they left through the front door, Arobin locking it and taking the key, which he carried for Edna. He helped her down the steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you have a spray of jessamine?\u201d he asked, breaking off a few blossoms as he passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo; I don\u2019t want anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

She seemed disheartened, and had nothing to say. She took his arm, which he offered her, holding up the weight of her satin train with the other hand. She looked down, noticing the black line of his leg moving in and out so close to her against the yellow shimmer of her gown. There was the whistle of a railway train somewhere in the distance, and the midnight bells were ringing. They met no one in their short walk.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpigeon house\u201d stood behind a locked gate, and a shallow parterre<\/i> that had been somewhat neglected. There was a small front porch, upon which a long window and the front door opened. The door opened directly into the parlor; there was no side entry. Back in the yard was a room for servants, in which old Celestine had been ensconced.<\/p>\n

Edna had left a lamp burning low upon the table. She had succeeded in making the room look habitable and homelike. There were some books on the table and a lounge near at hand. On the floor was a fresh matting, covered with a rug or two; and on the walls hung a few tasteful pictures. But the room was filled with flowers. These were a surprise to her. Arobin had sent them, and had had Celestine distribute them during Edna\u2019s absence. Her bedroom was adjoining, and across a small passage were the dining-room and kitchen.<\/p>\n

Edna seated herself with every appearance of discomfort.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you tired?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and chilled, and miserable. I feel as if I had been wound up to a certain pitch\u2014too tight\u2014and something inside of me had snapped.\u201d She rested her head against the table upon her bare arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to rest,\u201d he said, \u201cand to be quiet. I\u2019ll go; I\u2019ll leave you and let you rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n

He stood up beside her and smoothed her hair with his soft, magnetic hand. His touch conveyed to her a certain physical comfort. She could have fallen quietly asleep there if he had continued to pass his hand over her hair. He brushed the hair upward from the nape of her neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you will feel better and happier in the morning,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have tried to do too much in the past few days. The dinner was the last straw; you might have dispensed with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she admitted; \u201cit was stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it was delightful; but it has worn you out.\u201d His hand had strayed to her beautiful shoulders, and he could feel the response of her flesh to his touch. He seated himself beside her and kissed her lightly upon the shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were going away,\u201d she said, in an uneven voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am, after I have said good night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood night,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

He did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"menu_order":31,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-134","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/134\/revisions\/227"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/134\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/awakening\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}