And since the social
demands on Mrs. William Wagstaff's time grew apace, a capable maid and
a cook were added to the Wagstaff establishment. Thus she was relieved
of the onus of housework. Her time was wholly her own, at her own
disposal or Bill's, as she elected.
But by imperceptible degrees they came to take diverse roads in the
swirl of life which had caught them up. There were so many little
woman affairs where a man was superfluous. There were others which
Bill flatly refused to attend. "Hen parties," he dubbed them. More
and more he remained at home with his books. Invariably he read
through the daytime, and unless to take Hazel for a walk or a drive, or
some simple pleasure which they could indulge in by themselves, he
would not budge. If it were night, and a dance was to the fore, he
would dress and go gladly. At such, and upon certain occasions when a
certain little group would take supper at some cafe, he was apparently
in his element. But there was always a back fire if Hazel managed to
persuade him to attend anything in the nature of a formal affair. He
drew the line at what he defined as social tommyrot, and he drew it
more and more sharply.
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