And at those times he had wild visions of going away with her into
some beautiful wilderness and there teaching her what she had
missed in life.
But altho now he always wanted her, he was not always thinking of
a wilderness. It was in his own world that he wanted her, to fit
beautifully into his house, to move, exquisitely dressed, through
ball-rooms beside him. He wanted her, at those times, as the most
perfect of all his treasures. He was still a collector!
The summer only served to increase his passion. During the long
hot days, when Clayton was abroad or in Washington, or working late
at night, as he frequently did how, they were much together.
Natalie's plans for gayety had failed dismally. The city and the
country houses near were entirely lacking in men. She found it a
real grievance.
"I don't know what we are coming to," she complained. "The country
club is like a girl's boarding-school. I wish to heaven the war
was over, and things were sensible again."
So, during his week-end visits, they spent most of the time together.
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