The way of all earth

Description

"Fatal fingers" by William Le Queux is a novel written in the early 20th century. From its opening, it reads as a taut domestic and social drama centered on Brice Denison and his ambitious wife Anne, whose suburban marriage buckles under money worries, status hunger, and the charm of the well-heeled Ranney Copeland. The scenes of commuter life, country‑club chatter, and carefully staged home rituals frame a clash between steady prudence and risky aspiration. The opening of this novel follows Brice from the evening rush to his modest home, where Anne arrives with the affluent Ranney, foreshadowing tension. Over dinner and afterward, Brice reveals hopes for a promotion while Anne presses for social advancement, gambling at bridge, and “knowing the right people,” including Ranney, who flirts and sends costly flowers. Anne’s display of sophistication at the country club contrasts with Brice’s desire for a simple, “cozy” home life; she soon lets Ranney whisk her to a roadhouse lunch and, chafing at limits, secretly gives him $4,000 from their joint account to “invest.” When Brice learns of her day with Ranney and finds the money gone just as he needs to pay insurance and bills, their fight turns raw, with Anne hinting she could choose Ranney. She then removes herself to a friend’s house for several days, returns to an empty home, and, increasingly panicked, goes to Brice’s office—only to learn he has abruptly resigned after being unable to buy firm stock tied to his hoped‑for promotion. Stunned, she turns to a friend for help as the marital and financial crisis deepens. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Marriage -- Fiction
• Women -- Conduct of life -- Fiction
• PS