Xingu (Or The Lunch Club): Chapter Four

In this short novella by Edith Wharton, we are treated to a hilarious vignette of a New York ladies' Lunch Club in the early 1920s. In Chapter Four, with Osric Dane and Mrs Roby gone, the group feels both relieved and cheated. They decide that they will try to find out what Xingu is, if only to deny Mrs Roby the satisfaction of knowing more about their topics for discussion than they do.

If you enjoy Edith Wharton's writing, 'His Father's Son' is also available on Premium Tracks.

Transcript

Hello there,

It's Mandy here.

Thanks for joining me tonight and welcome back to Jingu by Edith Wharton.

In 1885,

At the age of 23,

Wharton married Edward Robbins Wharton,

Who was 12 years older than herself.

He was a sportsman and a gentleman of the same social class as her and he shared her love of travel.

From her marriage onwards,

Three interests came to dominate Edith's life.

American houses,

Writing and Italy.

So before I go ahead,

Please feel free to make yourself really comfortable and settle down into your chair or your bed.

Relax your hands,

Release your shoulders and soften your jaw.

That's great and if you're ready then I'll begin.

Part four.

The incident had been so rapid that the door closed on the departing pair before the other members had time to understand what was happening.

Then a sense of the indignity put upon them by Osric Dane's unceremonious desertion began to contend with the confused feeling that they had been cheated out of their due without exactly knowing how or why.

There was a silence during which Mrs Ballinger,

With a perfunctory hand,

Rearranged the skillfully grouped literature at which her distinguished guest had not so much as glanced.

Then Miss Van Vleuk tartly pronounced,

Well I can't say that I consider Osric Dane's departure a great loss.

This confession crystallized the resentment of the other members and Mrs Leverett exclaimed,

I do believe she came on purpose to be nasty.

It was Mrs Plinth's private opinion that Osric Dane's attitude toward the lunch club might have been very different had it welcomed her in the majestic setting of the Plinth drawing rooms.

But not liking to reflect on the inadequacy of Mrs Ballinger's establishment,

She sought a roundabout satisfaction in depreciating her lack of foresight.

I said from the first that we ought to have had a subject ready.

It's what always happens when you're unprepared.

Now if we'd only got up Jingu.

The slowness of Mrs Plinth's mental processes was always allowed for by the club but this instance of it was too much for Mrs Ballinger's equanimity.

Jingu,

She scoffed,

Why it was the fact of our knowing so much more about it than she did,

Unprepared though we were,

That made Osric Dane so furious.

I should have thought that was plain enough to everybody.

This retort impressed even Mrs Plinth and Laura Glide,

Moved by an impulse of generosity,

Said yes,

We really ought to be grateful to Mrs Robie for introducing the topic.

It may have made Osric Dane furious but at least it made her civil.

I am glad we were able to show her,

Added Miss Van Vloet,

That a broad and up-to-date culture is not confined to the great intellectual centres.

This increased the satisfaction of the other members and they began to forget their wrath against Osric Dane in the pleasure of having contributed to her discomfiture.

Miss Van Vloet thoughtfully rubbed her spectacles.

What surprised me most,

She continued,

Was that Fanny Robie should be so up on Jingu.

This remark threw a slight chill on the company but Mrs Ballinger said with an air of indulgent irony,

Mrs Robie always has the knack of making a little go a long way.

Still,

We certainly owe her a debt for happening to remember that she'd heard of Jingu.

And this was felt by the other members to be a graceful way of cancelling once and for all the club's obligation to Mrs Robie.

Even Mrs Leverett took courage to speed a timid shaft of irony.

I fancy Osric Dane hardly expected to take a lesson in Jingu at Hillbridge.

Mrs Ballinger smiled.

When she asked me what we represented,

Do you remember,

I wish I'd simply said we represented Jingu.

All the ladies laughed appreciatively at this sally except Mrs Plinth,

Who said after a moment's deliberation,

I'm not sure it would have been wise to do so.

Mrs Ballinger,

Who was already beginning to feel as if she had launched at Osric Dane the retort which had just occurred to her,

Turned ironically on Mrs Plinth.

May I ask why,

She inquired.

Mrs Plinth looked grave.

Surely,

She said,

I understood from Mrs Robie herself that the subject was one it was as well not to go into too deeply.

Miss Van Vleuk rejoined with precision.

I think that applied only to an investigation of the origin of the of the and suddenly she found that her usually accurate memory had failed her.

It's a part of the subject I never studied myself,

She concluded.

Nor I,

Said Mrs Ballinger.

Laura Glide bent toward them with widened eyes.

And yet it seems,

Doesn't it,

The part that is fullest of an esoteric fascination.

I don't know on what you base that,

Said Miss Van Vleuk,

Argumentatively.

Well,

Didn't you notice how intensely interested Osric Dane became as soon as she heard what the brilliant foreigner,

He was a foreigner,

Wasn't he,

Had told Mrs Robie about the origin,

The origin of the the right or whatever you call it.

Mrs Plinth looked disapproving and Mrs Ballinger visibly wavered.

Then she said,

It may not be desirable to touch on the on that part of the subject in general conversation,

But from the importance it evidently has to a woman of Osric Dane's distinction,

I feel as if we ought not to be afraid to discuss it among ourselves without gloves,

Though with closed doors if necessary.

I'm quite of your opinion,

Miss Van Vleuk came briskly to her support,

On condition that is that all grossness of language is avoided.

Oh,

I'm sure we shall understand without that,

Mrs Leverett tittered and Laura Glide added significantly,

I fancy we can read between the lines,

While Mrs Ballinger rose to assure herself that the doors were really closed.

Mrs Plinth had not yet given her adhesion.

I hardly see,

She began,

What benefit is to be derived from investigating such peculiar customs.

But Mrs Ballinger's patience had reached the extreme limit of tension.

This at least,

She returned,

That we shall not be placed again in the humiliating position of finding ourselves less up on our own subjects than Fanny Roby.

Even to Mrs Plinth,

This argument was conclusive.

She peered furtively about the room and lowered her commanding tones to ask,

Have you got a copy?

A copy,

Stammered Mrs Ballinger.

She was aware that the other members were looking at her expectantly and that this answer was inadequate,

So she supported it by asking another question.

A copy of what?

Her companions bent their expectant gaze on Mrs Plinth,

Who in turn appeared less sure of herself than usual.

Why,

Of the book,

She explained.

What book,

Snapped Miss Van Vloek,

Almost as sharply as Osric Dane.

Mrs Ballinger looked at Laura Glide,

Whose eyes were interrogatively fixed on Mrs Leverett.

The fact of being deferred to was so new to the latter that it filled her with an insane temerity.

Why,

Jingu,

Of course,

She exclaimed.

A profound silence followed this challenge.

To the resources of Mrs Ballinger's library and the latter,

After glancing nervously towards the books of the day,

Returned with dignity.

It's not a thing one cares to leave about.

I should think not,

Exclaimed Mrs Plinth.

It is a book then,

Said Miss Van Vloek.

This again threw the company into disarray and Mrs Ballinger,

With an impatient sigh,

Rejoined.

Why,

There is a book,

Naturally.

Then why did Miss Glide call it a religion?

Laura Glide started up.

A religion,

I never.

Yes,

You did,

Miss Van Vloek insisted.

You spoke of rites and Mrs Plinth said it was a custom.

Miss Glide was evidently making a desperate effort to recall her statement,

But accuracy of detail was not her strongest point.

At length she began in a deep murmur.

Surely they used to do something of the kind at Eleusinian Mysteries.

Oh,

Said Miss Van Vloek,

On the verge of disapproval,

And Mrs Plinth protested.

I understood there was to be no indelicacy.

Mrs Ballinger could not control her irritation.

Really,

It is too bad that we should not be able to talk the matter over quietly among ourselves.

Personally,

I think that if one goes into Jingu at all.

Oh,

So do I,

Cried Miss Glide,

And I don't see how one can avoid doing so,

If one wishes to keep up with the thought of the day.

Mrs Leverett uttered an exclamation of relief.

There,

That's it,

She interposed.

What's it?

The president took her up.

Why,

It's a thought,

I mean a philosophy.

This seemed to bring a certain relief to Mrs Ballinger and Laura Glide,

But Miss Van Vloek said,

Excuse me if I tell you that you're all mistaken.

Jingu happens to be a language.

A language,

The lunch club cried.

Certainly,

Don't you remember Fanny Robies saying that there were several branches and that some were hard to trace?

What could that apply to but dialects?

Mrs Ballinger could no longer restrain a contemptuous laugh.

Really,

If the lunch club has reached such a pass that it has to go to Fanny Robie for instruction on a subject like Jingu,

It had almost better cease to exist.

It's really her fault for not being clearer,

Laura Glide put in.

Oh,

Clearness and Fanny Robie,

Mrs Ballinger shrugged.

I dare say we find she was mistaken on almost every point.

Why not look it up,

Said Mrs Plinth.

As a rule,

This recurrent suggestion of Mrs Plinth's was ignored in the heat of discussion and only resorted to afterward in the privacy of each member's home.

But on the present occasion,

The desire to ascribe their own confusion of thought to the vague and contradictory nature of Mrs Robie's statements caused the members of the lunch club to utter a collective demand for a book of reference.

At this point,

The production of her treasured volume gave Mrs Leverett,

For a moment,

The unusual experience of occupying the centre front.

But she was not able to hold it for long,

For appropriate allusions contained no mention of Jingu.

Oh,

That's not the kind of thing we want,

Exclaimed Miss Van Vloek.

She cast a disparaging glance over Mrs Ballinger's assortment of literature and added impatiently,

Haven't you any useful books?

Of course I have,

Replied Mrs Ballinger indignantly.

I keep them in my husband's dressing room.

To be continued.

Reviews

Love Wharton’s sarcasm as the ladies try to figure out Xingu and pick apart Fanny. Thanks Mandy🙏🏻

Fun story, Mandy, thank you! I also really enjoy the factoids about the author at the beginning of the recording! Keep those coming! ((I will have to listen again, since I seem to fall asleep so quickly lately!)