Gabrielle

Today I'm coming home

earlier than usual.

I took the inner circle train

I worked hard.

l won't go by the Club.

I have the ease of contentment,

not disdainful, but confident.

A man with money and friends.

I'm taIl and heaIthy.

Friends say I have the cold stare

of achievement,

like excelling in sports

or making money.

I'm not a sportsman,

but money comes easily.

Ive been married for ten years.

My wife is well bred and intelligent.

She was bored at home.

Her individuality had no play.

She seemed so much the right sort

that I succumbed to her charms.

Friends said I was very much in love

and I said so myself.

Every man fa is in love

once in his life,

and that was the real first time.

Before, Ive had seemed

an unnecessary bother.

After we were married,

our circle of frends grew.

Fifty peopIe became aware

of our existence.

Now thirty more invite us,

and we invite them.

Our dinners may be less famous

than others,

but many value ours more.

We're not being frivolous.

Those at our table are part of our set.

Men and women who fear

emotion and failure

more than fire, war, or fatal disease.

Let me give you the complete list:

A cuckold husband kills his wife.

A woman poisons her lover.

Infanticide. Patricide.

Virgins raped. Blood. Tears.

Death everywhere.

Thats theater today!

Revoltind stories that are all alike.

For there is my real misfortune

that looms up in life like a wall...

I look at my wife.

That placid face.

Gabrielle is perhaps paler today,

But that palor is part of her appeal.

Im proud of what she is: impassive.

She was like that ten years ago.

The same stol dity, the same smile.

You ove that.

t's monstrous! Like two hours

in your worst nightmares!

I aIways dream of very safe things,

with loving strangers.

I trust Gabrielle entirely.

She is candid and faithful.

I know her thoughts,

even her most secret ones,

and her dreams.

I never repeat what a stranger tells me.

I keep it to my self.

Not knowing me,

he didn't mean for me to repeat it.

Theres someone you still dont know?

What does it mean to know someone?

Who knows whom, in fact?

Well, I know Made eine,

and you, of course.

The others are enigmas.

Gnawing doubts are tiresome.

Take Jean, hes an absolute fortress.

But not GabrieIIe.

No, not GabrieIIe.

Not Gabrielle, what?

I dont see the need to know people

to enjoy their company.

I have no taste for the secrets

Madeleine loves.

Jean's acquantance a one is enough.

I enjoy your company.

As you should ours.

Or should we do without it?

Idealist, sentimental,

and incensed.

not too much for one person?

One day,

to give her individuality fair play,

Gabrielle took up philanthropic work.

I took an active interest in politics.

Having met a literary man

related to an early.

I was induced to finance

a moribund newspaper.

It was utterly devoid of convictions.

And then it started to pay.

I'd made a good investment.

He said something...

Who, Francis?

He said he was tired of playing.

No one is obliged to play.

They can just watch.

Playing cards is normaI.

Did he tell you?

He never speaks to me directly.

Hes afraid he might let himself go.

I think once let something slip

that he regrets...

Artist types started coming

to our house.

Our Thursdays became famous.

People from the paper joined us.

Why shouId Francis' attitude

affect your circle,

your home?

The editor, for one.

I must tell you about this editor.

Is it so important?

I don't like him.

He sits in the drawing room,

and taks for hours with a smile

on his thick lips.

He writes poetry.

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