CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

One morning, Mr Pontellier went to visit the family doctor, Doctor Mandelet, who was almost fully retired now and mostly just gave advice to his patients. He had a good reputation as a doctor and many people came to him for help. The only people he would actually be a doctor for were his closest friends. Mr Pontellier had known the doctor for many years now and was considered a friend.

"Don't tell me you are ill, Pontellier! Please, come in and sit a while," the doctor said, looking at his guest with his little blue eyes. He was a bit fat and had disorderly, white hair.

"No, I'm feeling just fine. It's my wife that I've come to talk with you about. Something's wrong with her and I'm not sure what it is," Mr Pontellier answered.

"Edna, ill? But I just saw her maybe a week before and she looked perfectly fine," Doctor Mandelet said in surprise.

"It's nothing to do with her health, actually. She's just been acting strange lately. I can't understand why. She doesn't care about the house at all. She just lets it go," Mr Pontellier said anxiously.

"It's normal, Pontellier, not all women are the same. Not all of them would like to be a housewife," Doctor Mandelet laughed.

"I understand that. But the problem is the way she does things. I don't want to fight with her all the time, but she makes me so angry that I can't control myself anymore. It seems like the idea of women's rights has been growing in her more and more."

"Has she made friends with any of those highly intelligent women I've been hearing about lately. My wife sometimes talks about them."

"That's what's so strange. She's not spending time with anyone, really. She's almost always alone, walking the streets with a sad look on her face. She's been coming home late in the evenings too. She's not had any of her Tuesday afternoon receptions for a long time. I just can't understand it. I'm seriously concerned. I think something is terribly wrong," he said getting increasingly upset.

"Is anybody in her family this way too?"

"No, absolutely not! They are all good people. They all live in Kentucky and run a horse farm. Some of the most beautiful land I've ever seen! Her youngest sister is getting married in a couple of weeks."

"Is Edna going to attend? I think that she should. It would make her feel better to spend time with her family for a while."

"She refuses to go! She says that weddings are too depressing. Can you believe that she says such a thing to her husband?"

"I think, Pontellier, that you ought to just let things continue as they are for a while. She's experiencing some kind of emotional problem deep inside of herself and she's trying to deal with it. If you interfere too often, it will only make things worse and it will take her a much longer time to get better. It's not possible for you or I to understand what she's experiencing. We just have to be patient. Invite me over for dinner soon. I can have a look at her then, as a friend."

"Oh, that would be great! How's Thursday?"

"That should be fine, as long as my wife hasn't planned anything for that evening."

"Oh! There's one more thing, Doctor. I'm going on a business trip to New York soon. Do you think I should take Edna with me?" asked Mr Pontellier.

"It's up to her. Don't force her to go."

Mr Pontellier thanked the doctor and then left. Throughout the entire conversation, the doctor had wanted to ask if Edna had a lover, but he knew that Creole men were very jealous people, so he decided not to say anything.

(end of section)