The Early Ayn Rand

He stepped back. He shuddered. He passed his hand over his eyes. Then he said slowly: "I will not disturb you." He turned and walked to Mrs. Van Dahlen. "Let us go to another restaurant... Claire," he said. They walked out. I followed them with my eyes, till they disappeared behind the door. That was all...

I was completely, deeply calm now. I turned to Mr. Gray. He had put the screen around our table again. "Do not grieve yourself, Mrs. Stafford," he said. "It is for the best, perhaps."

"Yes, Mr. Gray, it is for the best," I answered.

We sat down and we finished our dinner, calmly and quietly. I had all my consciousness now. I spoke, and smiled, and flirted with him so gently, so graciously, that he was wholly charmed and forgot the wild scene. At half past ten I asked him to take me home. He was disappointed that our meeting was so short, but said nothing and courteously brought me to my house door, in an automobile. "Shall we meet again soon?" he asked, holding my hand in his.

"Yes, very soon... and very often," I answered. He went away, completely happy.

I entered our apartment. I stood motionless, I could not tell for how long... It was done...

I entered Henry's study. I saw some papers on the floor and, picking them up, replaced them on the desk. A chair was pushed into the middle of the room — I put it back. I adjusted the pillows on the sofa. I put in order the plans and drawings that covered all the desk. His rulers, compasses, and other objects were thrown all over the room. I put them on the desk. I made a fire in the fireplace... It was for the last time that I could do a wife's duty for him.

When there was nothing more to arrange, I went to the fireplace and sat on the floor. Henry's armchair was standing by the fire, and there was a pillow near it, on which he put his feet. I did not dare to sit in the armchair. I lay on the floor and put my head on the pillow... The wood was burning with a soft red glow in the darkness and a little crackling sound in the silence. I lay motionless, pressing the pillow to my lips...

I arose quickly when I heard a key turn in the entrance door's lock. I went into the hall. Henry was pale, very pale. He did not look at me. He took off his hat and overcoat and hung them on the clothes peg. Then he walked to his study and, passing by me, looked at me with a long glance. He entered first; I followed him.

We were silent for a long time. Then he spoke, sternly and coldly: "Will you explain to me anything?"

"I have nothing to explain, Henry," I answered. "You have seen."

"Yes," he said, "I have seen."

He walked up and down the room, then stopped again. He smiled, a smile of disgust and hatred. "It was great!" he said. I did not answer. He trembled with fury. "You... you..." he cried, clasping his fists.

"How could you?" I was silent. "And I called my wife during four years a woman like that!" He pressed his head. "You make me crazy! It is impossible! It is not you! You were not like this! You could not be like this!"

I said nothing. He seized me by the arms and flung me to the floor. "Speak, dirt! Answer! Why did you do it?"

I looked at him, I looked straight into his eyes and told a lie. It was the most atrocious lie that could be and the only one he could believe and understand. "I hid it from you because I did not want to make you unhappy. I struggled a long time against this love and could not stand it any longer," I said.

And he understood this. He left my arms and stepped back. Then laughed. "Well, I can make you happy, then!" he cried. "I don't love you at all and I am not unhappy at all! I love another woman! I am only happy now!"

"You are happy, Henry?"

"Yes, immensely! I see that you are disappointed!"

"No, Henry, I am not disappointed. It is all right."

"All right?... What are you doing lying on the floor? Get up!... All right? You have the insolence to say that?"

He walked up and down the room. "Don't look at me!" he cried. "You have no right any more even to look at me! I forbid it to you!"

"I will not look, Henry," I answered, bowing my head.

"No, you will! You will look at yourself!" he cried and, seizing me by the arm, flung me to the looking glass. "Look at your dress!" he cried. Dark wine spots covered the silver gauze of my dress.

"You loved him, you went with him, well. But wine! But kisses! But that conduct in a public place!" he cried. Oh, my plan had worked perfectly! I said nothing.

He was silent for some time, then he said, more calmly and coldly: "You understand that there will be nothing between us, now. I wish I could forget that there ever was... And I want you to forget that I was your husband. I want you to give me back everything you have from me, any kind of remembrance."

"Well, Henry, I can give them now," I answered.