LAVINIA

The love affair of Lavinia Shelton, childlike, restless, and neglected by her conservatively correct husband Walter, is confided to and recorded by an elderly friend, who tries to head her away from the elegant boredom of her life with Walter toward the improvident but romantic future offered by Chris, a sailor. Alone, near Cannes, with Walter away most of the time on business- (later as she learns with another woman)- Lavinia is quite ready to fall in love with Chris whom she meets down on the wharf, to share in the dangerous excitement of his activities as an ""importer"" (he runs cigarettes for a syndicate). Walter comes home to accuse her- and abuse her; she learns that he is the money behind the outfit which has been gunning for Chris; and she is exposed to the menacing insinuations of her chauffeur. Finally she is forced to make her choice between her husband and her lover- and in so doing forfeits her happiness for the luxury-and the security- which Walter offers..... A noticeable improvement over her earlier Shriek with Pleasure, the setting here- the south of France- lacetrims the romance for the ladies.