Page 402 - tender-is-the-night

now made of—of Georgia pine, which is the hardest wood
known, except lignum vitæ from New Zealand—‘
Nicole, going downstairs, heard the end of the conver-
sation. She knew, as she had always known, that Tommy
loved her; she knew he had come to dislike Dick, and that
Dick had realized it before he did, and would react in some
positive way to the man’s lonely passion. This thought was
succeeded by a moment of sheerly feminine satisfaction.
She leaned over her children’s breakfast table and told off
instructions to the governess, while upstairs two men were
concerned about her.
Later in the garden she was happy; she did not want any-
thing to happen, but only for the situation to remain in
suspension as the two men tossed her from one mind to an-
other; she had not existed for a long time, even as a ball.
‘Nice, Rabbits, isn’t it—Or is it? Hey, Rabbit—hey you! Is
it nice?—hey? Or does it sound very peculiar to you?’
The rabbit, after an experience of practically nothing else
and cabbage leaves, agreed after a few tentative shiftings of
the nose.
Nicole went on through her garden routine. She left the
flowers she cut in designated spots to be brought to the
house later by the gardener. Reaching the sea wall she fell
into a communicative mood and no one to communicate
with; so she stopped and deliberated. She was somewhat
shocked at the idea of being interested in another man—but
other women have lovers—why not me? In the fine spring
morning the inhibitions of the male world disappeared and
she reasoned as gaily as a flower, while the wind blew her

402 Tender is the Night