Summary
‘‘A Point at Issue!’’ opens with an announcement of Eleanor Gail and Charles Faraday's wedding, shared in the Plymdale Promulgator, the local newspaper. Eleanor is displeased, perceiving it as an unwelcome invasion of her privacy. She conceded to this announcement out of sheer social obligation, hoping this would be a rare concession to societal norms.
Charles, her new husband, sees her as the epitome of womanhood; he delights in her logical mind and her willingness to explore subjects like philosophy and science alongside him. When Eleanor expresses a desire to master the French language, they agree on her studying in Paris while Charles remains in America for much of the year. After their honeymoon across Europe, Eleanor secures lodgings in Paris, and Charles returns to Plymdale, planning to reunite with her in the summer. Their unconventional marital arrangement sends shockwaves through Plymdale society, scandalized by the couple's audacious break from tradition. Despite this, they maintain a steady correspondence through letters.
Meanwhile, Charles fills his leisure hours with the lively Beaton family, finding them intelligent and engaging. Mr. Beaton works alongside Charles at the university, and Charles particularly enjoys the company of their charming and self-absorbed youngest daughter, Kitty. In his letters to Eleanor, he conveys his admiration for Kitty, convinced that Eleanor's logical nature would ward off any jealousy. Yet, Eleanor's reply is delayed, and when it arrives, it bears an unexpected chill. Subsequent letters arrive, brimming with intense emotion, leaving Charles bewildered.
As winter's chill fades, Charles sets out for Paris to reunite with Eleanor. Before his arrival, Eleanor is depicted pacing her room, visibly unsettled, grappling with a "misery of the heart" that defies her rational mind. The narrator leaves the cause of her turmoil a mystery, captured in a storm of sobs and tears.
Upon Charles's arrival, he is struck by Eleanor’s familiar beauty, now enhanced. As they converse, a housemaid enters, casting Eleanor a conspiratorial glance while handing her a card. Eleanor quickly pockets it, turning to Charles with evident fluster.
Days later, Charles stumbles upon Eleanor in conversation with a striking man in her parlor. The narrator describes their mutual discomfort, noting Eleanor's apparent urge to flee from her husband's gaze. Charles accepts her assurance that the visitor is "no one special." However, her vague explanation of an urgent appointment soon arouses his suspicions.
Haunted by "ugly thoughts," Charles wanders the streets of Paris. At a café, he catches a glimpse of Eleanor in a carriage, her mysterious visitor by her side, both in high spirits. His immediate impulse is to "tear the scoundrel from his seat and paint the boulevard red with his villainous blood."
Returning to their apartment, Charles finds Eleanor eagerly awaiting him. She draws him into the parlor, introducing the handsome stranger as an artist who has painted her portrait as a surprise for Charles. She explains the delays in its completion necessitated their meetings.
As Charles prepares to return home, Eleanor asks if he thinks she has mastered French, to which he agrees. She then suggests booking a passage home for them both, bringing Charles immense joy. Curious about the cold tone in her previous letter, he learns it was a reaction to his mention of Kitty. Eleanor confesses her struggle with jealousy yet assures him of her trust in his fidelity. Astonished by her admission, Charles muses, "but my Nellie is only a woman after all." The story concludes with the narrator observing that Charles conveniently overlooks his own pangs of jealousy.
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