Chapter XXIX

by Kate Chopin

　　Without even waiting for an answer from her husband regardinghis opinion or wishes in the matter, Edna hastened her preparationsfor quitting her home on Esplanade Street and moving into thelittle house around the block. A feverish anxiety attended herevery action in that direction. There was no moment of deliberation,no interval of repose between the thought and its fulfillment.Early upon the morning following those hours passed in Arobin's society,Edna set about securing her new abode and hurrying her arrangementsfor occupying it. Within the precincts of her home she felt likeone who has entered and lingered within the portals of someforbidden temple in which a thousand muffled voices bade her begone.Whatever was her own in the house, everything which she hadacquired aside from her husband's bounty, she caused to betransported to the other house, supplying simple and meagerdeficiencies from her own resources.Arobin found her with rolled sleeves, working in company withthe house-maid when he looked in during the afternoon. She wassplendid and robust, and had never appeared handsomer than in theold blue gown, with a red silk handkerchief knotted at randomaround her head to protect her hair from the dust. She was mountedupon a high stepladder, unhooking a picture from the wall when heentered. He had found the front door open, and had followed hisring by walking in unceremoniously."Come down!" he said. "Do you want to kill yourself?" She greeted himwith affected carelessness, and appeared absorbed in her occupation.If he had expected to find her languishing, reproachful, or indulgingin sentimental tears, he must have been greatly surprised.He was no doubt prepared for any emergency, ready for any oneof the foregoing attitudes, just as he bent himself easily andnaturally to the situation which confronted him."Please come down," he insisted, holding the ladder andlooking up at her."No," she answered; "Ellen is afraid to mount the ladder. Joeis working over at the `pigeon house'--that's the name Ellen givesit, because it's so small and looks like a pigeon house--and someone has to do this."Arobin pulled off his coat, and expressed himself ready andwilling to tempt fate in her place. Ellen brought him one of herdust-caps, and went into contortions of mirth, which she foundit impossible to control, when she saw him put it on beforethe mirror as grotesquely as he could. Edna herself could notrefrain from smiling when she fastened it at his request. So itwas he who in turn mounted the ladder, unhooking pictures andcurtains, and dislodging ornaments as Edna directed. When he hadfinished he took off his dust-cap and went out to wash his hands.Edna was sitting on the tabouret, idly brushing the tips of afeather duster along the carpet when he came in again."Is there anything more you will let me do?" he asked."That is all," she answered. "Ellen can manage the rest." Shekept the young woman occupied in the drawing-room, unwilling to beleft alone with Arobin."What about the dinner?" he asked; "the grand event, the coup d'etat?""It will be day after to-morrow. Why do you call it the `coup d'etat?'Oh! it will be very fine; all my best of everything--crystal, silver and gold,Sevres, flowers, music, and champagne to swim in. I'll let Leonce paythe bills. I wonder what he'll say when he sees the bills."And you ask me why I call it a coup d'etat?" Arobin hadput on his coat, and he stood before her and asked if his cravatwas plumb. She told him it was, looking no higher than the tip ofhis collar."When do you go to the `pigeon house?'--with all dueacknowledgment to Ellen.""Day after to-morrow, after the dinner. I shall sleep there.""Ellen, will you very kindly get me a glass of water?" askedArobin. "The dust in the curtains, if you will pardon me forhinting such a thing, has parched my throat to a crisp.""While Ellen gets the water," said Edna, rising, "I will saygood-by and let you go. I must get rid of this grime, and I havea million things to do and think of.""When shall I see you?" asked Arobin, seeking to detain her,the maid having left the room."At the dinner, of course. You are invited.""Not before?--not to-night or to-morrow morning or tomorrownoon or night? or the day after morning or noon? Can't you seeyourself, without my telling you, what an eternity it is?"He had followed her into the hall and to the foot of thestairway, looking up at her as she mounted with her face halfturned to him."Not an instant sooner," she said. But she laughed and lookedat him with eyes that at once gave him courage to wait and made ittorture to wait.