The Custom of the Country

Ralph wakes up the next morning feeling physical pain and emotional burnout. He descends into a deep illness. He’s disheartened to discover that Undine hasn’t yet returned from her trip, though she was expected home three weeks earlier. He asks Abner where she is, and his response reveals that Undine has left Ralph and intends to seek a divorce from him on terms of desertion. Abner tells Ralph that there’s no other man, but Ralph doesn’t believe him.

Ralph’s health improves, and he travels to the Adirondacks for further healing. His family doesn’t know what to do about the divorce with Undine because they’ve never had to deal with a scandal of this nature. They refuse to believe that another man isn’t involved—that a woman could decide she didn’t want to be with a man without having another waiting.

Ralph’s family tells Paul to think of his mother as dead. While Ralph finds it unlikely that Undine will ever ask to see Paul, he’d allow mother and son to reunite if she did.

Ralph receives official papers for divorce. Meanwhile, their story hits the press, and Ralph sees Undine’s accusations—that he worked too much to make a happy home—plastered in the newspapers.

In Paris, Undine meets with Indiana Frusk, now Indiana Rolliver, the young woman from Apex who convinced a powerful man to divorce his wife to marry her. Undine has been in a difficult situation with Peter. She left Ralph and gave everyone space for a few months, but Peter still hasn’t secured his own divorce. Undine believes Clare is spitefully holding onto Peter because she hates Undine and is in love with Ralph. Undine has fallen in social status because her friends, like Indiana, can’t understand why she’d separate from Ralph and seek out a divorce before Peter confirmed that he’d also leave his wife.

Indiana tries to arrange a dinner where Peter and Undine can meet again, but Peter refuses to see Undine. Indiana reveals that Peter discovered that Undine ignored the many messages imploring her to return home to Ralph while he was ill. This made Peter feel differently about Undine. Undine’s behavior toward Ralph made Peter wonder if she would feel as callously about him if he were dying.

Undine, friendless and alone, travels to sea towns for some peace. She contemplates the events of the last year. During that year, she lives with Peter for two months, giving in to him in the belief that doing so will help secure his divorce as well. She and Peter travel to unfashionable places because Peter doesn’t want their affair to become public. Eventually, she lands in Dakota, where divorce is easier to manage. In Dakota, Undine runs into Mabel Lipscomb, who’s there for the same reason. Undine waits for weeks for Peter to meet her, so in the meantime, she reestablishes her bond with Mabel. Undine becomes jealous of Mabel when Mabel’s new man comes to claim her, while Undine continues to wait for a sign from Peter.

After waiting interminably in Dakota, Undine returns to New York to see her parents. There, she avoids any talk of Paul. She starts to perceive Ralph with tenderness and believes that the demise of their relationship was due to society pressures and not anything to do with them. In the papers, she reads about Peter’s return from his European trip and all the sightings of him out and about with Clare. Undine largely holes herself inside, but finally asks her father to go with her to the theater. Instead of box seats, she requests regular orchestra seats. She enjoys the anonymity of being in the crowd during the show, but on her way out she speaks loudly so that people notice her. She meets the gaze of people she used to socialize with, such as Claud Popple, Bowen, and Clare.

Back at home, her father confronts her about her necklace. He asks her who gave her the fine jewelry, certain that it couldn’t have been her husband. He orders her to return the necklace to Peter Van Degen.

Undine takes stock of her new reality. She acknowledges that she must start over somewhere outside of New York. She gets Mrs. Heeny to help sell Peter’s necklace for money she can use to leave. Undine convinces her parents to travel to Europe with her. This is her parents’ first time out of the country, and they become incessantly reliant on Undine’s help in Europe. Her parents don’t stay long, but Undine remains in Europe while they returns to New York. Thus, Undine now finds herself in Paris with Indiana.

One day, Undine is approached by a woman who recognizes her from certain social events. The woman introduces herself as Princess Estradina. Undine recognizes it as one of the most important royal names in Europe. Princess Estradina invites Undine into a surprising friendship. However, Undine fears that the arrival of Madame de Trézac threatens her friendship with the Princess.

Undine’s fears about Madame de Trézac prove unfounded, as de Trézac seems more eager to be in everyone’s good graces than to reveal any dark gossip about Undine. Princess Estradina invites Undine to Nice but ditches Undine at the last minute to visit a friend. Undine sees in this a plan in which Estradina is trying to slowly get rid of Undine. Undine spots Elmer Moffatt with a gaudy woman. She tries to get Elmer’s attention, and he makes a show of avoiding her gaze. Estradina returns with Raymond de Chelles, who is happy to see Undine. Later, Estradina apologizes for leaving Undine alone and explains that she was meeting up with someone secretly important to her. Undine accepts her apology and asks her not to bring Raymond around her anymore.

Undine returns to Paris, where she meets with Raymond under his aunt’s supervision. Madame de Trézac warns Undine of the potential problems in her courtship with Raymond. Because of the ties between religion and aristocracy in Europe, Undine would have difficulty getting married in the Church because the Church doesn’t recognize divorce. De Trézac suggests that Undine take up a European arrangement with Raymond in which they’re together but unmarried.

Undine receives a letter from her mother. Leota has finally met with Paul, who saw a picture of Undine and asked who the woman was. Undine tears up at the thought of Paul not knowing who she is and hopes she can find a new husband who can provide better for Paul.

Undine hears that Estradina and her mother don’t want Undine to visit while Raymond’s mother is in town. They’ve heard about Undine and Raymond’s relationship, and even though they don’t worry about his marrying her, they’re concerned that Undine will hurt his reputation. Raymond encourages Undine to get an annulment of marriage because it’s recognized by the Church. Undine tells Raymond that she can’t see him anymore because she doesn’t want to come between him and his family.

Undine encounters Elmer Moffatt. He tells her he’s in Paris because he got burnt out on Wall Street and needed a change. Undine asks Elmer to help find her money, ostensibly to get Paul back in her care. Elmer reveals that he’s under investigation and is currently broke.

In the two years since Undine left him, Ralph has realigned his priorities. He still works in business but devotes his free time to Paul and has rediscovered his passion for literature. Ralph slowly becomes happier and more inclined to be around people. He restarts his friendship with Clare, though they never directly address Peter’s role in Ralph’s divorce. Ralph proudly begins his novel. His happiness is interrupted by the official news that Undine intends to get their marriage annulled and marry into French nobility.

Ralph receives the horrifying news that Undine has successfully been approved by the courts to gain full custody of Paul. Because Ralph wanted to spare Paul from hearing defamatory things about his mother, Ralph didn’t fight for full custody during their divorce. However, Undine never asked for Paul, and everyone assumed she never would. Nevertheless, Paul is legally obligated to be suddenly taken away from Ralph and sent to Europe to live with Undine.

Ralph agonizes over his son’s imminent departure. Clare suggests that Undine doesn’t really want Paul—she just wants money. If the Dagonets offer Undine money she can use for her expensive annulment, Clare figures, then she won’t care about Paul staying with them. Clare offers her considerable wealth to help Ralph pay off Undine.

Ralph’s lawyers confer with Undine’s representation and agree that a large sum of money would persuade Undine not to press for custody of her son. Ralph thinks deeply about how to get the money and seeks out Elmer Moffatt. Elmer proposes that if Ralph can pay $50,000, Elmer can double it to the $100,000 necessary to pay off Undine. Ralph secures the $50,000 from his family and from Clare, who’s happy to make up her past wrongs to Ralph. Ralph and Clare grow closer, and they share a kiss.