Laurence Corbett

Further names: Laurence, Corbett

Delia’s husband Laurence Corbett is fifty-two and of stunning beauty. He lived in New York until his sister went to Paris where she married Monsieur de Vitrey. However, their marriage was not a happy one and in order to take care of his sister, Laurence moved to Paris as well. There, he developed an unconditional love and passion for the French lifestyle. Consequently, he shows a great lack as far as his nationalism and patriotism for his homeland America is concerned meaning that Laurence shows “[…] indifference to his native land […]”. (White 9) Concerning working and gaining money, Laurence Corbett is a man who never does anything. This leads to the fact that his family must have been wealthy, since otherwise he could never afford a suite in a Parisian luxurious hotel and could never spend that much money at the auction house named Hotel Drouot. Consequently, “His elaborate intellectual processes bore no flower of result […]”. (White 15) Social arrangements such as dinners for his friends, are what Laurence is interested in; and it were the dinner arrangements where he met his future wife Delia, named Delia Benson back then since she was still married. However, she hid her feelings so well that, until her husband’s death, he never suspected anything. After Delia’s husband died, they got married two years later and enjoyed travelling together throughout Europe, although Laurence was glad to return to Paris due to the fact that “[…] he was really happier there than elsewhere […]”. (White 4) His wife considers him to be the most admirable man in the world and others think that she “[…] had been uncommonly clever to catch him.” (White 18) Laurence Corbett likes to have things nice and beautiful and “[…] it pleased Corbett to make all his surroundings beautiful.” (White 3) He has such a great charisma that he is considered to be a decoration to each room he enters. This can be seen in Delia’s description of him when “[…] her glance lingered less appreciatively than usual on the warm tones and fine lines which formed so expressive a background for Corbett's fastidious figure.” (White 8) Although Corbett loves his wife, he needs some place to hide from her and keep his distance. This exact place is the library. He goes in there to escape from his wife and consequently uses the library as a shelter and bunker. When he gives Delia her aunt’s letter, he tells her to come and find him in his library after reading the letter, indicating that things like reading a letter do not belong in his library. It pleases Corbett to see his wife content; leading to the fact that he suggests a trip to Boston to visit Delia’s Aunt Mary who is ill, because she has fallen down the stairs. Leaving Paris is a great sacrifice for Laurence; though, he joins his wife in order to make her happy and satisfied. Corbett is very thoughtful and polite and insists on staying in a hotel during their visit because he does not intend to “[…] disturb the routine of Mrs. Hayne’s household […]”. (White 10) In contrast to his wife, who despises people from the lower working class, such as Cyrus, Aunt Mary’s chore man, who awaits them at the Providence Station, he is polite to everyone and when his wife “[…] saw him, in the street, give a coin to a crossing sweeper, or lift his hat ceremoniously to one of Mrs. Hayne's maid servants (he was always considerate of poor people and servants) her approval winced under the reminder […]”. (White 16) As already mentioned earlier, Laurence likes to have his surroundings beautiful, leading to the fact that he does not like Aunt Mary’s appearance, as far her manner of dress as well as the interior of her house is concerned. This is the reason why he cannot wait to return to his beautiful Paris. During their stay in Boston, Laurence needs his space as well. Therefore, he goes to the club or the public library. Laurence is always a nice gentleman around Aunt Mary, just what Delia has wished for; however, Delia has thought that Laurence would gain her a new reentry into Boston’s society aside someone acceptable and showable. However, Delia finds out about her husband’s flaw, that he was not in the war. In the beginning though, Laurence does not know about his wife’s knowledge; and when his wife wants to return to Paris out of a sudden, he assumes that she just misses Paris, although he realizes that something is bothering her. While his wife is suffering from the war issue, Corbett returns back to his Parisian routine making him content. Up to that moment Delia still thinks of as being “[…] perfect now; admirable in every relation of life; kind, generous, upright; a loyal friend, an accomplished gentleman, and, above all, the man she loved.” (White 17) “Delia reflected, in complying, that she had never seen him look better; his fifty-two years sat upon him like a finish which made youth appear crude, and his voice, as he recounted his afternoon’s doings, had the intimate inflections reserved for her ear.” (White 18) These two quotes indicate, that Delia’s affection for him is still the same as it was before; however, one afternoon, he finds a frame with a fallen American soldier, which he makes as a present for his wife and as a result of giving his wife the present, she finally confronts him with the question whether he was in the war or not. Laurence admits that he was not in the war; although; he could have been; however, he sees nothing so shocking about this fact. When Delia accuses him of cowardice, he gets mad and leaves her alone, going into his library. He uses the library once more as a space to evade his wife. When his wife follows him into the library to apologize for her foolishness, he is very understanding. He likes things to be in balance and forgives her right away and to settle the dispute he invites her to the Palais Royal to see the new play. What he does not know is the fact that his wife’s love for him has changed, since he turned out to be the husband, whom she does not know anymore, who is not who he seemed to be. At the end of the story, he lost all the glamour for his wife. It is as if he has dropped his mantle, finally revealing his insight.