Read Online The Dark Lady by Louis Auchincloss, Thomas Auchincloss - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Louis Auchincloss, Thomas Auchincloss
Tags: General Fiction
Ads: Link
worldly wisdom, gave a cachet to a party. The astute climber would know that he had arrived when he heard his neighbor say: "Ah, there's Linda Dart. I always know I'm in for a good evening when I see her. Would you believe she's sixty-five?"
Elesina was surprised at her own reaction to her mother's cooling toward Billy. There was not the least hint of sibling jealousy in it. She was simply shocked. Somehow it did not seem to matter which child their mother loved so long as she loved
one.
That Linda Dart should turn from Billy showed a hollow in the very core of a family love that Elesina had somehow regarded as basic to her environment even if it did not wholly include herself. It taught her to face the shabby fact that her indifference to little Ruth was something more than the "horror of babies" that she had, with a show of the charming actress' easily forgiven capriciousness, affected for the benefit of herself and others. Ted was more and more boring; he listened to her now only in discussions directed to some aspect of his own self-pity. He drank more, and Elesina began to drink with him.
Theater life is conducive to love. Not only is romance the usual subject of the drama, with all the accompaniment of public strutting and public embraces, but a humid atmosphere of lubricity invades even its technical conversations. Everyone is "darling" or "sweetie"; hands are held; arms are stroked; even hostility is expressed erogenously. Elesina drifted into the habit of casual affairs, usually with other actors, vaguely hoping that a great passion would come her way, but never much surprised that it failed to. Ted, furnished with information and money by his father, who had remained Elesina's implacable opponent, sued her at last for divorce for adultery and claimed sole custody of their daughter. Elesina did not bother to defend the suit, and she found herself, with her thirtieth birthday already well retreating into a disordered past, in the midst of a world depression, childless, husbandless, homeless and penniless, except for the precarious income derived from her repertory company. Even this ceased when, drunk, she failed for a third time to appear for a rehearsal of
Rosmersholm.
Linda Dart was as kind as could be expected. She took Elesina into her apartment and kept her as long as either could stand it. Elesina found the order in her mother's life a daily reproach, and Linda in turn was disgusted by her daughter's carelessness as to hours and engagements. Eventually it was agreed that Elesina should live in a small hotel around the corner at her mother's expense and come home for certain meals. This was still their arrangement when Elesina announced her proposed move to Ivy Trask's.
"I've inquired about Miss Trask," Linda told her daughter dryly. "She seems to come of a respectable upstate background. I believe there was even an uncle in TR's cabinet. But she's identified now with that slick, rather sleazy fashion world, and she's intimate with the Steins. I should think you could do better. Is she a lesbian?"
"No. At least I don't think so. She says not."
"Did you ask her? Anyway, I wouldn't be sure. But I don't expect my advice to be followed by my children. Isn't it funny? All my friends come to me for guidance."
"You pick your friends. You didn't pick your children."
"That's true enough. Speaking of which, what do you hear of little Ruth?"
If Elesina had had any further doubts about the wisdom of her move, the tone of her mother's question would have convinced her. "Little Ruth is very well, I believe. I shall be glad to have a place where she can visit me without disturbing anyone."
6
Elesina had to admit that Irving Stein's attentions came at an opportune time. The author of her new comedy had withdrawn it from production under a charge of plagiarism, and she found herself without a prospect. It was an occupation in her idleness to study her new friend's procedure. Both she and Ivy were surprised at the
Elesina was surprised at her own reaction to her mother's cooling toward Billy. There was not the least hint of sibling jealousy in it. She was simply shocked. Somehow it did not seem to matter which child their mother loved so long as she loved
one.
That Linda Dart should turn from Billy showed a hollow in the very core of a family love that Elesina had somehow regarded as basic to her environment even if it did not wholly include herself. It taught her to face the shabby fact that her indifference to little Ruth was something more than the "horror of babies" that she had, with a show of the charming actress' easily forgiven capriciousness, affected for the benefit of herself and others. Ted was more and more boring; he listened to her now only in discussions directed to some aspect of his own self-pity. He drank more, and Elesina began to drink with him.
Theater life is conducive to love. Not only is romance the usual subject of the drama, with all the accompaniment of public strutting and public embraces, but a humid atmosphere of lubricity invades even its technical conversations. Everyone is "darling" or "sweetie"; hands are held; arms are stroked; even hostility is expressed erogenously. Elesina drifted into the habit of casual affairs, usually with other actors, vaguely hoping that a great passion would come her way, but never much surprised that it failed to. Ted, furnished with information and money by his father, who had remained Elesina's implacable opponent, sued her at last for divorce for adultery and claimed sole custody of their daughter. Elesina did not bother to defend the suit, and she found herself, with her thirtieth birthday already well retreating into a disordered past, in the midst of a world depression, childless, husbandless, homeless and penniless, except for the precarious income derived from her repertory company. Even this ceased when, drunk, she failed for a third time to appear for a rehearsal of
Rosmersholm.
Linda Dart was as kind as could be expected. She took Elesina into her apartment and kept her as long as either could stand it. Elesina found the order in her mother's life a daily reproach, and Linda in turn was disgusted by her daughter's carelessness as to hours and engagements. Eventually it was agreed that Elesina should live in a small hotel around the corner at her mother's expense and come home for certain meals. This was still their arrangement when Elesina announced her proposed move to Ivy Trask's.
"I've inquired about Miss Trask," Linda told her daughter dryly. "She seems to come of a respectable upstate background. I believe there was even an uncle in TR's cabinet. But she's identified now with that slick, rather sleazy fashion world, and she's intimate with the Steins. I should think you could do better. Is she a lesbian?"
"No. At least I don't think so. She says not."
"Did you ask her? Anyway, I wouldn't be sure. But I don't expect my advice to be followed by my children. Isn't it funny? All my friends come to me for guidance."
"You pick your friends. You didn't pick your children."
"That's true enough. Speaking of which, what do you hear of little Ruth?"
If Elesina had had any further doubts about the wisdom of her move, the tone of her mother's question would have convinced her. "Little Ruth is very well, I believe. I shall be glad to have a place where she can visit me without disturbing anyone."
6
Elesina had to admit that Irving Stein's attentions came at an opportune time. The author of her new comedy had withdrawn it from production under a charge of plagiarism, and she found herself without a prospect. It was an occupation in her idleness to study her new friend's procedure. Both she and Ivy were surprised at the
Similar Books
