Edith Wharton

Name: The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII
Author: Edith Wharton

The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

Summary

“The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII”, published in 1913, is a work by Edith Wharton. It explores elements such as Undine, New York and Dagonet.

Quotes from The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (Edith Wharton)

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Marvell her helplessness had infected Undine, and their half-hour in the sober faded drawing-room remained among the girl's most unsatisfactory memories.
She re-entered it alone with more assurance. Her confidence in her beauty had hitherto carried her through every ordeal; and it was fortified now by the feeling of power that came with the sense of being loved. If they would only leave her mother out she was sure, in her own phrase, of being able to "run the thing"; and Mrs. Spragg had providentially been left out of the Dagonet dinner. ”

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Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ There was another, more palpitating, silence, broken by a laugh from Ralph.
"RALPH!" his mother breathed; then, turning to Undine, she said with a constrained smile: "I believe in certain parts of the country such--unfortunate arrangements--are beginning to be tolerated. But in New York, in spite of our growing indifference, a divorced woman is still--thank heaven!--at a decided disadvantage." ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Undine looked innocently surprised. "Oh, I guess not. They like each other well enough. But he's been a disappointment to her. He isn't in the right set, and I think Mabel realizes she'll never really get anywhere till she gets rid of him."
These words, uttered in the high fluting tone that she rose to when sure of her subject, fell on a pause which prolonged and deepened itself to receive them, while every face at the table, Ralph Marvell's excepted, reflected in varying degree Mr. Dagonet's pained astonishment. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Marvell met this gravely. "It would depend, I should say, on the kind of people she wished to see."
"Oh, the very best, of course! That would be her only object."
Ralph interposed with another laugh. "You see, Undine, you'd better think twice before you divorce me!"
"RALPH!" his mother again breathed; but the girl, flushed and sparkling, flung back: "Oh, it all depends on YOU! Out in Apex, if a girl marries a man who don't come up to what she expected, people consider it's to her credit to want to change. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Dagonet's lack of enthusiasm.
"Ah? A broker?" He said it almost as Popple might have said "A DENTIST?" and Undine found herself astray in a new labyrinth of social distinctions. She felt a sudden contempt for Harry Lipscomb, who had already struck her as too loud, and irrelevantly comic. "I guess Mabel'll get a divorce pretty soon," she added, desiring, for personal reasons, to present Mrs. Lipscomb as favourably as possible.
Mr. Dagonet's handsome eye-brows drew together. "A divorce? H'm--that's bad. Has he been misbehaving himself?" ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Marvell smiled noncommittally.
"But you have a great friend of your own--the lady who takes you into society," Mr. Dagonet pursued; and Undine had the sense that the irrepressible Mabel was again "pushing in."
"Oh, yes--Mabel Lipscomb. We were school-mates," she said indifferently.
"Lipscomb? Lipscomb? What is Mr. Lipscomb's occupation?"
"He's a broker," said Undine, glad to be able to place her friend's husband in so handsome a light. The subtleties of a professional classification unknown to Apex had already taught her that in New York it is more distinguished to be a broker than a dentist ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ Spragg, hovering near in fond beatitude, looked up quickly.
"Why, don't you s'pose he BOUGHT it for her, Mrs. Heeny? It came in a Tiff'ny box."
The manicure laughed again. "Of course he's had Tiff'ny rub it up. Ain't you ever heard of ancestral jewels, Mrs. Spragg? In the Eu-ropean aristocracy they never go out and BUY engagement-rings; and Undine's marrying into our aristocracy."
Mrs. Spragg looked relieved. "Oh, I thought maybe they were trying to scrimp on the ring--"
Mrs. Heeny, shrugging away this explanation, rose from her seat and rolled back her shiny black sleeves. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country — Chapter VII (1913)

“ The girl swung about in her seat so that she faced the mirror on the dressing-table. Her shoulders shone through transparencies of lace and muslin which slipped back as she lifted her arms to draw the tortoise-shell pins from her hair. ”

Edith Wharton

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