Edith Wharton

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

The Custom of the Country — Chapter XLVI (1913)

Summary

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

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

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

“ From these rooms Paul wandered downstairs again. The library attracted him most: there were rows and rows of books, bound in dim browns and golds, and old faded reds as rich as velvet: they all looked as if they might have had stories in them as splendid as their bindings. But the bookcases were closed with gilt trellising, and when Paul reached up to open one, a servant told him that Mr. Moffatt's secretary kept them locked because the books were too valuable to be taken down. This seemed to make the library as strange as the rest of the house, and he passed on to the ballroom at the back. ”

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

“ Mrs. Heeny had said, discerning the reluctance under his civil greeting, "I guess you're as strange here as I am, and we're both pretty strange to each other. You just go and look round, and see what a lovely home your Ma's got to live in; and when you get tired of that, come up here to me and I'll give you a look at my clippings."
The word woke a train of dormant associations, and Paul saw himself seated on a dingy carpet, between two familiar taciturn old presences, while he rummaged in the depths of a bag stuffed with strips of newspaper. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Mr. Moffatt continued, getting to his feet. He stood looking down at the boy with a queer smile. "If we two chaps stick together it won't be so bad--we can keep each other warm, don't you see? I like you first rate, you know; when you're big enough I mean to put you in my business. And it looks as if one of these days you'd be the richest boy in America...."
The lamps were lit, the vases full of flowers, the foot-men assembled on the landing and in the vestibule below, when Undine descended to the drawing-room. As she passed the ballroom door she glanced in approvingly at the tapestries. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ For the first time since her marriage to Moffatt she was about to receive in her house the people she most wished to see there. The beginnings had been a little difficult; their first attempt in New York was so unpromising that she feared they might not be able to live down the sensational details of their reunion, and had insisted on her husband's taking her back to Paris. But her apprehensions were unfounded. It was only necessary to give people the time to pretend they had forgotten; and already they were all pretending beautifully. The French world had of course held out longest ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Elmer Moffatt for the celebrated Grey Boy is the largest sum ever given for a Vandyck. Since Mr. Moffatt began to buy extensively it is estimated in art circles that values have gone up at least seventy-five per cent.'"
But the price of the Grey Boy did not interest Paul, and he said a little impatiently: "I'd rather hear about my mother."
"To be sure you would! You wait now." Mrs. Heeny made another dive, and again began to spread her clippings on her lap like cards on a big black table. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Well, I'm afraid there ain't any taffy in it now; but there's piles and piles of lovely new clippings you ain't seen."
"My Papa?" He paused, his hand among the strips of newspaper. "My Papa never saw my Grandma Spragg. He never went to America."
"Never went to America? Your Pa never--? Why, land alive!" Mrs. Heeny gasped, a blush empurpling her large warm face. "Why, Paul Marvell, don't you remember your own father, you that bear his name?" ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ His gifts to the bride are a necklace and tiara of pigeon-blood rubies belonging to Queen Marie Antoinette, a million dollar cheque and a house in New York. The happy pair will pass the honeymoon in Mrs. Moffatt's new home, 5009 Fifth Avenue, which is an exact copy of the Pitti Palace, Florence. They plan to spend their springs in France.'"
Mrs. Heeny drew a long breath, folded the paper and took off her spectacles. "There," she said, with a benignant smile and a tap on Paul's cheek, "now you see how it all happened...." ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ You could make a beauty just about your Ma, with her picture pasted in the front--and another about Mr. Moffatt and his collections. There's one I cut out the other day that says he's the greatest collector in America."
Paul listened, fascinated. He had the feeling that Mrs. Heeny's clippings, aside from their great intrinsic interest, might furnish him the clue to many things he didn't understand, and that nobody had ever had time to explain to him. His mother's marriages, for instance: he was sure there was a great deal to find out about them. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Undine Spragg Marvell, of Apex City and New York, got a decree of divorce at a special session of the Court last night, and was remarried fifteen minutes later to Mr. Elmer Moffatt, the billionaire Railroad King, who was the Marquise's first husband.
"'No case has ever been railroaded through the divorce courts of this State at a higher rate of speed: as Mr. Moffatt said last night, before he and his bride jumped onto their east-bound special, every record has been broken. It was just six months ago yesterday that the present Mrs. Moffatt came to Reno to look for her divorce. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Moffatt had hastily established themselves, a few weeks earlier, on their return from a flying trip to America. They were always coming and going; during the two years since their marriage they had been perpetually dashing over to New York and back, or rushing down to Rome or up to the Engadine: Paul never knew where they were except when a telegram announced that they were going somewhere else. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Even this did not fix Paul's attention. He wanted to hear about his mother and Mr. Moffatt, and not about their things; and he didn't quite know how to frame his question. But Mrs. Heeny looked kindly at him and he tried. "Why is mother married to Mr. Moffatt now?"
"Why, you must know that much, Paul." Mrs. Heeny again looked warm and worried. "She's married to him because she got a divorce--that's why." And suddenly she had another inspiration. "Didn't she ever send you over any of those splendid clippings that came out the time they were married? Why, I declare, that's a shame ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Through its closed doors he heard a sound of hammering, and when he tried the door-handle a servant passing with a tray-full of glasses told him that "they" hadn't finished, and wouldn't let anybody in. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Heeny; and as if to cut the conversation short she stooped over, creaking like a ship, and thrust her plump strong hand into the bag.
"Here, now, just you look at these clippings--I guess you'll find a lot in them about your Ma.--Where do they come from? Why, out of the papers, of course," she added, in response to Paul's enquiry. "You'd oughter start a scrap-book yourself--you're plenty old enough. ”

Edith Wharton

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