Mrs. Sperry (The Pretext)

Mrs. Sperry is a woman who lives at Wentworth as well and a friend of Mrs. Margaret Ransom. Further, she is the wife of the Professor of Paleontology and a member of the Higher Thought Club like Mrs. Margaret Ransom. The two of them meet before Guy Dawnish visits the Ransoms to say good-bye to them and talk about the winter’s program for the Higher Thought Club (Lewis, 1968, p. 645). In fact, Mrs. Sperry would be the companion for Mrs. Margaret Ransom to the speeches but she cannot go with her because she is ill (Lewis, 1968, p. 635). Additionally, Mrs. Sperry is the only person who talks to Mrs. Margaret Ransom after she received the news that Guy Dawnish dissolved the engagement with Gwendolen Matcher because of his unfortunate attachment, but she does not notice “the pain and glory (that) were written on her face.” (Lewis, 1968, p. 648).

Source:

Lewis, R. W. B. (1968). The Collected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.