But you never seemed to think of it. I am young and I
want pretty clothes--yet you thought I was satisfied to have you come
home and say a few careless pleasant words, and to tease me a little.
That was all you ever did for me--all you ever wanted.
"But the General wants more than that. He wants me here in the big
house, to be his wife, and to meet his friends. He had a man come up
the other day with a lot of rings, and he bought me this." She showed
the great diamonds flashing on her third finger. "I have always wanted
a ring like this, and now I can have as many as I want. Do you blame
me for shaking the tree?"
He sat, listening, spellbound to her sophistry. But was it sophistry?
Wasn't some of it true? He saw her for the first time as a woman
wanting things like other women.
She swept out her hand to include the contents of the little room. "I
have always longed for a place like this. I don't know a thing about
china. But I know that all that stuff in the cabinet cost a fortune.
And it's a pretty room, and some day when I am the General's wife, I'll
ask you here to take tea with me, and I'll wear a silver gown like your
daughter wears, and I think you'll be surprised to see that I can do it
well.
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