BOOK	O
ONE	O
--	O
The	O
Romantic	O
Egotist	O
CHAPTER	O
1	O
.	O

Amory	O
,	O
Son	O
of	O
Beatrice	O
Amory	O
Blaine	O
inherited	O
from	O
his	O
mother	O
every	O
trait	O
,	O
except	O
the	O
stray	O
inexpressible	O
few	O
,	O
that	O
made	O
him	O
worth	O
while	O
.	O

His	O
father	O
,	O
an	O
ineffectual	O
,	O
inarticulate	O
man	O
with	O
a	O
taste	O
for	O
Byron	O
and	O
a	O
habit	O
of	O
drowsing	O
over	O
the	O
Encyclopedia	O
Britannica	O
,	O
grew	O
wealthy	O
at	O
thirty	O
through	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
two	O
elder	O
brothers	O
,	O
successful	O
Chicago	O
brokers	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
flush	O
of	O
feeling	EVENT
that	O
the	O
world	O
was	O
his	O
,	O
went	EVENT
to	O
Bar	O
Harbor	O
and	O
met	EVENT
Beatrice	O
O'Hara	O
.	O

In	O
consequence	O
,	O
Stephen	O
Blaine	O
handed	O
down	O
to	O
posterity	O
his	O
height	O
of	O
just	O
under	O
six	O
feet	O
and	O
his	O
tendency	O
to	O
waver	O
at	O
crucial	O
moments	O
,	O
these	O
two	O
abstractions	O
appearing	O
in	O
his	O
son	O
Amory	O
.	O

For	O
many	O
years	O
he	O
hovered	O
in	O
the	O
background	O
of	O
his	O
family	O
's	O
life	O
,	O
an	O
unassertive	O
figure	O
with	O
a	O
face	O
half-obliterated	O
by	O
lifeless	O
,	O
silky	O
hair	O
,	O
continually	O
occupied	O
in	O
“	O
taking	O
care	O
”	O
of	O
his	O
wife	O
,	O
continually	O
harassed	O
by	O
the	O
idea	O
that	O
he	O
did	O
n't	O
and	O
could	O
n't	O
understand	O
her	O
.	O

But	O
Beatrice	O
Blaine	O
!	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
woman	O
!	O

Early	O
pictures	O
taken	O
on	O
her	O
father	O
's	O
estate	O
at	O
Lake	O
Geneva	O
,	O
Wisconsin	O
,	O
or	O
in	O
Rome	O
at	O
the	O
Sacred	O
Heart	O
Convent	O
--	O
an	O
educational	O
extravagance	O
that	O
in	O
her	O
youth	O
was	O
only	O
for	O
the	O
daughters	O
of	O
the	O
exceptionally	O
wealthy	O
--	O
showed	O
the	O
exquisite	O
delicacy	O
of	O
her	O
features	O
,	O
the	O
consummate	O
art	O
and	O
simplicity	O
of	O
her	O
clothes	O
.	O

A	O
brilliant	O
education	O
she	O
had	O
--	O
her	O
youth	O
passed	O
in	O
renaissance	O
glory	O
,	O
she	O
was	O
versed	O
in	O
the	O
latest	O
gossip	O
of	O
the	O
Older	O
Roman	O
Families	O
;	O
known	O
by	O
name	O
as	O
a	O
fabulously	O
wealthy	O
American	O
girl	O
to	O
Cardinal	O
Vitori	O
and	O
Queen	O
Margherita	O
and	O
more	O
subtle	O
celebrities	O
that	O
one	O
must	O
have	O
had	O
some	O
culture	O
even	O
to	O
have	O
heard	O
of	O
.	O

She	O
learned	O
in	O
England	O
to	O
prefer	O
whiskey	O
and	O
soda	O
to	O
wine	O
,	O
and	O
her	O
small	O
talk	O
was	O
broadened	O
in	O
two	O
senses	O
during	O
a	O
winter	O
in	O
Vienna	O
.	O

All	O
in	O
all	O
Beatrice	O
O'Hara	O
absorbed	O
the	O
sort	O
of	O
education	O
that	O
will	O
be	O
quite	O
impossible	O
ever	O
again	O
;	O
a	O
tutelage	O
measured	O
by	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
things	O
and	O
people	O
one	O
could	O
be	O
contemptuous	O
of	O
and	O
charming	O
about	O
;	O
a	O
culture	O
rich	O
in	O
all	O
arts	O
and	O
traditions	O
,	O
barren	O
of	O
all	O
ideas	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
of	O
those	O
days	O
when	O
the	O
great	O
gardener	O
clipped	O
the	O
inferior	O
roses	O
to	O
produce	O
one	O
perfect	O
bud	O
.	O

In	O
her	O
less	O
important	O
moments	O
she	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
America	O
,	O
met	EVENT
Stephen	O
Blaine	O
and	O
married	EVENT
him	O
--	O
this	O
almost	O
entirely	O
because	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
little	O
bit	O
weary	O
,	O
a	O
little	O
bit	O
sad	O
.	O

Her	O
only	O
child	O
was	O
carried	O
through	O
a	O
tiresome	O
season	O
and	O
brought	EVENT
into	O
the	O
world	O
on	O
a	O
spring	O
day	O
in	O
ninety-six	O
.	O

When	O
Amory	O
was	O
five	O
he	O
was	O
already	O
a	O
delightful	O
companion	O
for	O
her	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
an	O
auburn-haired	O
boy	O
,	O
with	O
great	O
,	O
handsome	O
eyes	O
which	O
he	O
would	O
grow	O
up	O
to	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
a	O
facile	O
imaginative	O
mind	O
and	O
a	O
taste	O
for	O
fancy	O
dress	O
.	O

From	O
his	O
fourth	O
to	O
his	O
tenth	O
year	O
he	O
did	O
the	O
country	O
with	O
his	O
mother	O
in	O
her	O
father	O
's	O
private	O
car	O
,	O
from	O
Coronado	O
,	O
where	O
his	O
mother	O
became	O
so	O
bored	EVENT
that	O
she	O
had	O
a	O
nervous	O
breakdown	EVENT
in	O
a	O
fashionable	O
hotel	O
,	O
down	O
to	O
Mexico	O
City	O
,	O
where	O
she	O
took	O
a	O
mild	O
,	O
almost	O
epidemic	O
consumption	EVENT
.	O

This	O
trouble	O
pleased	O
her	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
she	O
made	O
use	O
of	O
it	O
as	O
an	O
intrinsic	O
part	O
of	O
her	O
atmosphere	O
--	O
especially	O
after	O
several	O
astounding	O
bracers	O
.	O

So	O
,	O
while	O
more	O
or	O
less	O
fortunate	O
little	O
rich	O
boys	O
were	O
defying	O
governesses	O
on	O
the	O
beach	O
at	O
Newport	O
,	O
or	O
being	O
spanked	O
or	O
tutored	O
or	O
read	O
to	O
from	O
“	O
Do	O
and	O
Dare	O
,	O
”	O
or	O
“	O
Frank	O
on	O
the	O
Mississippi	O
,	O
”	O
Amory	O
was	O
biting	O
acquiescent	O
bell-boys	O
in	O
the	O
Waldorf	O
,	O
outgrowing	O
a	O
natural	O
repugnance	O
to	O
chamber	O
music	O
and	O
symphonies	O
,	O
and	O
deriving	O
a	O
highly	O
specialized	O
education	O
from	O
his	O
mother	O
.	O

“	O
Amory	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Yes	O
,	O
Beatrice	O
.	O
”	O

(	O
Such	O
a	O
quaint	O
name	O
for	O
his	O
mother	O
;	O
she	O
encouraged	O
it	O
.	O
)	O

“	O
Dear	O
,	O
do	O
n't	O
_	O
think	O
_	O
of	O
getting	O
out	O
of	O
bed	O
yet	O
.	O

I	O
've	O
always	O
suspected	O
that	O
early	O
rising	O
in	O
early	O
life	O
makes	O
one	O
nervous	O
.	O

Clothilde	O
is	O
having	O
your	O
breakfast	O
brought	O
up	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
All	O
right	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
feeling	O
very	O
old	O
to-day	O
,	O
Amory	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
would	O
sigh	O
,	O
her	O
face	O
a	O
rare	O
cameo	O
of	O
pathos	O
,	O
her	O
voice	O
exquisitely	O
modulated	O
,	O
her	O
hands	O
as	O
facile	O
as	O
Bernhardt	O
's	O
.	O

“	O
My	O
nerves	O
are	O
on	O
edge	O
--	O
on	O
edge	O
.	O

We	O
must	O
leave	O
this	O
terrifying	O
place	O
to-morrow	O
and	O
go	O
searching	O
for	O
sunshine	O
.	O
”	O

Amory	O
's	O
penetrating	O
green	O
eyes	O
would	O
look	O
out	O
through	O
tangled	O
hair	O
at	O
his	O
mother	O
.	O

Even	O
at	O
this	O
age	O
he	O
had	O
no	O
illusions	O
about	O
her	O
.	O

“	O
Amory	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Oh	O
,	O
_	O
yes	O
_	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
want	O
you	O
to	O
take	O
a	O
red-hot	O
bath	O
as	O
hot	O
as	O
you	O
can	O
bear	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
just	O
relax	O
your	O
nerves	O
.	O

You	O
can	O
read	O
in	O
the	O
tub	O
if	O
you	O
wish	O
.	O
”	O

She	O
fed	O
him	O
sections	O
of	O
the	O
“	O
Fetes	O
Galantes	O
”	O
before	O
he	O
was	O
ten	O
;	O
at	O
eleven	O
he	O
could	O
talk	O
glibly	O
,	O
if	O
rather	O
reminiscently	O
,	O
of	O
Brahms	O
and	O
Mozart	O
and	O
Beethoven	O
.	O

One	O
afternoon	O
,	O
when	O
left	EVENT
alone	O
in	O
the	O
hotel	O
at	O
Hot	O
Springs	O
,	O
he	O
sampled	EVENT
his	O
mother	O
's	O
apricot	O
cordial	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
the	O
taste	O
pleased	EVENT
him	O
,	O
he	O
became	O
quite	O
tipsy	EVENT
.	O

This	O
was	O
fun	O
for	O
a	O
while	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
essayed	EVENT
a	O
cigarette	O
in	O
his	O
exaltation	EVENT
,	O
and	O
succumbed	O
to	O
a	O
vulgar	O
,	O
plebeian	O
reaction	EVENT
.	O

Though	O
this	O
incident	EVENT
horrified	O
Beatrice	O
,	O
it	O
also	O
secretly	O
amused	O
her	O
and	O
became	O
part	O
of	O
what	O
in	O
a	O
later	O
generation	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
termed	O
her	O
“	O
line	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
This	O
son	O
of	O
mine	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
heard	EVENT
her	O
tell	EVENT
a	O
room	O
full	O
of	O
awestruck	O
,	O
admiring	O
women	O
one	O
day	O
,	O
“	O
is	O
entirely	O
sophisticated	O
and	O
quite	O
charming	O
--	O
but	O
delicate	O
--	O
we	O
're	O
all	O
delicate	O
;	O
_	O
here	O
_	O
,	O
you	O
know	O
.	O
”	O

Her	O
hand	O
was	O
radiantly	O
outlined	O
against	O
her	O
beautiful	O
bosom	O
;	O
then	O
sinking	EVENT
her	O
voice	O
to	O
a	O
whisper	EVENT
,	O
she	O
told	EVENT
them	O
of	O
the	O
apricot	O
cordial	O
.	O

They	O
rejoiced	EVENT
,	O
for	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
brave	O
raconteuse	O
,	O
but	O
many	O
were	O
the	O
keys	O
turned	O
in	O
sideboard	O
locks	O
that	O
night	O
against	O
the	O
possible	O
defection	O
of	O
little	O
Bobby	O
or	O
Barbara	O
...	O
.	O

These	O
domestic	O
pilgrimages	O
were	O
invariably	O
in	O
state	O
;	O
two	O
maids	O
,	O
the	O
private	O
car	O
,	O
or	O
Mr.	O
Blaine	O
when	O
available	O
,	O
and	O
very	O
often	O
a	O
physician	O
.	O

When	O
Amory	O
had	O
the	O
whooping-cough	O
four	O
disgusted	O
specialists	O
glared	EVENT
at	O
each	O
other	O
hunched	EVENT
around	O
his	O
bed	O
;	O
when	O
he	O
took	O
scarlet	O
fever	EVENT
the	O
number	O
of	O
attendants	O
,	O
including	O
physicians	O
and	O
nurses	O
,	O
totalled	O
fourteen	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
blood	O
being	O
thicker	O
than	O
broth	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
pulled	EVENT
through	O
.	O

The	O
Blaines	O
were	O
attached	O
to	O
no	O
city	O
.	O

They	O
were	O
the	O
Blaines	O
of	O
Lake	O
Geneva	O
;	O
they	O
had	O
quite	O
enough	O
relatives	O
to	O
serve	O
in	O
place	O
of	O
friends	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
enviable	O
standing	O
from	O
Pasadena	O
to	O
Cape	O
Cod	O
.	O

But	O
Beatrice	O
grew	O
more	O
and	O
more	O
prone	O
to	O
like	O
only	O
new	O
acquaintances	O
,	O
as	O
there	O
were	O
certain	O
stories	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
her	O
constitution	O
and	O
its	O
many	O
amendments	O
,	O
memories	O
of	O
her	O
years	O
abroad	O
,	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
necessary	O
for	O
her	O
to	O
repeat	O
at	O
regular	O
intervals	O
.	O

Like	O
Freudian	O
dreams	O
,	O
they	O
must	O
be	O
thrown	O
off	O
,	O
else	O
they	O
would	O
sweep	O
in	O
and	O
lay	O
siege	O
to	O
her	O
nerves	O
.	O

But	O
Beatrice	O
was	O
critical	O
about	O
American	O
women	O
,	O
especially	O
the	O
floating	O
population	O
of	O
ex-Westerners	O
.	O

“	O
They	O
have	O
accents	O
,	O
my	O
dear	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
told	EVENT
Amory	O
,	O
“	O
not	O
Southern	O
accents	O
or	O
Boston	O
accents	O
,	O
not	O
an	O
accent	O
attached	O
to	O
any	O
locality	O
,	O
just	O
an	O
accent	O
”	O
--	O
she	O
became	O
dreamy	EVENT
.	O

“	O
They	O
pick	O
up	O
old	O
,	O
moth-eaten	O
London	O
accents	O
that	O
are	O
down	O
on	O
their	O
luck	O
and	O
have	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
some	O
one	O
.	O

They	O
talk	O
as	O
an	O
English	O
butler	O
might	O
after	O
several	O
years	O
in	O
a	O
Chicago	O
grand-opera	O
company	O
.	O
”	O

She	O
became	O
almost	O
incoherent	O
--	O
“	O
Suppose	O
--	O
time	O
in	O
every	O
Western	O
woman	O
's	O
life	O
--	O
she	O
feels	O
her	O
husband	O
is	O
prosperous	O
enough	O
for	O
her	O
to	O
have	O
--	O
accent	O
--	O
they	O
try	O
to	O
impress	O
_	O
me	O
_	O
,	O
my	O
dear	O
--	O
”	O
Though	O
she	O
thought	O
of	O
her	O
body	O
as	O
a	O
mass	O
of	O
frailties	O
,	O
she	O
considered	O
her	O
soul	O
quite	O
as	O
ill	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
important	O
in	O
her	O
life	O
.	O

She	O
had	O
once	O
been	O
a	O
Catholic	O
,	O
but	O
discovering	O
that	O
priests	O
were	O
infinitely	O
more	O
attentive	O
when	O
she	O
was	O
in	O
process	O
of	O
losing	O
or	O
regaining	O
faith	O
in	O
Mother	O
Church	O
,	O
she	O
maintained	O
an	O
enchantingly	O
wavering	O
attitude	O
.	O

Often	O
she	O
deplored	O
the	O
bourgeois	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
American	O
Catholic	O
clergy	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
quite	O
sure	O
that	O
had	O
she	O
lived	O
in	O
the	O
shadow	O
of	O
the	O
great	O
Continental	O
cathedrals	O
her	O
soul	O
would	O
still	O
be	O
a	O
thin	O
flame	O
on	O
the	O
mighty	O
altar	O
of	O
Rome	O
.	O

Still	O
,	O
next	O
to	O
doctors	O
,	O
priests	O
were	O
her	O
favorite	O
sport	O
.	O

“	O
Ah	O
,	O
Bishop	O
Wiston	O
,	O
”	O
she	O
would	O
declare	O
,	O
“	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
talk	O
of	O
myself	O
.	O

I	O
can	O
imagine	O
the	O
stream	O
of	O
hysterical	O
women	O
fluttering	O
at	O
your	O
doors	O
,	O
beseeching	O
you	O
to	O
be	O
simpatico	O
”	O
--	O
then	O
after	O
an	O
interlude	O
filled	O
by	O
the	O
clergyman	O
--	O
“	O
but	O
my	O
mood	O
--	O
is	O
--	O
oddly	O
dissimilar	O
.	O
”	O

Only	O
to	O
bishops	O
and	O
above	O
did	O
she	O
divulge	O
her	O
clerical	O
romance	O
.	O

When	O
she	O
had	O
first	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
her	O
country	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
pagan	O
,	O
Swinburnian	O
young	O
man	O
in	O
Asheville	O
,	O
for	O
whose	O
passionate	O
kisses	O
and	O
unsentimental	O
conversations	O
she	O
had	O
taken	O
a	O
decided	O
penchant	O
--	O
they	O
had	O
discussed	O
the	O
matter	O
pro	O
and	O
con	O
with	O
an	O
intellectual	O
romancing	O
quite	O
devoid	O
of	O
sappiness	O
.	O

Eventually	O
she	O
had	O
decided	O
to	O
marry	O
for	O
background	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
young	O
pagan	O
from	O
Asheville	O
had	O
gone	O
through	O
a	O
spiritual	O
crisis	O
,	O
joined	O
the	O
Catholic	O
Church	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
now	O
--	O
Monsignor	O
Darcy	O
.	O

“	O
Indeed	O
,	O
Mrs.	O
Blaine	O
,	O
he	O
is	O
still	O
delightful	O
company	O
--	O
quite	O
the	O
cardinal	O
's	O
right-hand	O
man	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Amory	O
will	O
go	O
to	O
him	O
one	O
day	O
,	O
I	O
know	O
,	O
”	O
breathed	EVENT
the	O
beautiful	O
lady	O
,	O
“	O
and	O
Monsignor	O
Darcy	O
will	O
understand	O
him	O
as	O
he	O
understood	O
me	O
.	O
”	O

Amory	O
became	O
thirteen	O
,	O
rather	O
tall	O
and	O
slender	O
,	O
and	O
more	O
than	O
ever	O
on	O
to	O
his	O
Celtic	O
mother	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
tutored	O
occasionally	O
--	O
the	O
idea	O
being	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
to	O
“	O
keep	O
up	O
,	O
”	O
at	O
each	O
place	O
“	O
taking	O
up	O
the	O
work	O
where	O
he	O
left	O
off	O
,	O
”	O
yet	O
as	O
no	O
tutor	O
ever	O
found	O
the	O
place	O
he	O
left	O
off	O
,	O
his	O
mind	O
was	O
still	O
in	O
very	O
good	O
shape	O
.	O

What	O
a	O
few	O
more	O
years	O
of	O
this	O
life	O
would	O
have	O
made	O
of	O
him	O
is	O
problematical	O
.	O

However	O
,	O
four	O
hours	O
out	O
from	O
land	O
,	O
Italy	O
bound	EVENT
,	O
with	O
Beatrice	O
,	O
his	O
appendix	O
burst	EVENT
,	O
probably	O
from	O
too	O
many	O
meals	O
in	O
bed	O
,	O
and	O
after	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
frantic	O
telegrams	O
to	O
Europe	O
and	O
America	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
amazement	EVENT
of	O
the	O
passengers	O
the	O
great	O
ship	O
slowly	O
wheeled	EVENT
around	O
and	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
New	O
York	O
to	O
deposit	O
Amory	O
at	O
the	O
pier	O
.	O

You	O
will	O
admit	O
that	O
if	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
life	O
it	O
was	O
magnificent	O
.	O

After	O
the	O
operation	EVENT
Beatrice	O
had	O
a	O
nervous	O
breakdown	EVENT
that	O
bore	O
a	O
suspicious	O
resemblance	O
to	O
delirium	O
tremens	O
,	O
and	O
Amory	O
was	O
left	EVENT
in	O
Minneapolis	O
,	O
destined	O
to	O
spend	O
the	O
ensuing	O
two	O
years	O
with	O
his	O
aunt	O
and	O
uncle	O
.	O

There	O
the	O
crude	O
,	O
vulgar	O
air	O
of	O
Western	O
civilization	O
first	O
catches	O
him	O
--	O
in	O
his	O
underwear	O
,	O
so	O
to	O
speak	O
.	O

*****	O
A	O
KISS	EVENT
FOR	O
AMORY	O
His	O
lip	O
curled	EVENT
when	O
he	O
read	EVENT
it	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
bobbing	O
party	O
,	O
”	O
it	O
said	O
,	O
“	O
on	O
Thursday	O
,	O
December	O
the	O
seventeenth	O
,	O
at	O
five	O
o'clock	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
would	O
like	O
it	O
very	O
much	O
if	O
you	O
could	O
come	O
.	O

Yours	O
truly	O
,	O