From this talk with Bellamy Sophy went straight to Lady Wychcote.
"Doctor Bellamy says that Bobby must have a complete change of climate. I am going to take him to Italy, as soon as I can get packed," she said, without preliminaries.
Lady Wychcote's brow lowered.
"What! You will leave your husband to hirelings?" she asked, in her coldest, most metallic tones.
"'Hirelings' are the best people to leave Cecil with at present. You must see that yourself," Sophy answered, unmoved, and quite as coldly.
"You actually mean it?"
"Yes."
Lady Wychcote's mouth thinned to a hair. The width of this hair-line indicated an ironic smile.
"You have heard the saying, I presume, that a wife should forsake all lesser ties in order to cleave to her husband?"
"I have," replied Sophy. "And that other saying, too: 'Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands as unto the Lord.' I haven't the least intention of submitting myself to Cecil as 'unto the Lord.' And I don't mean to sacrifice my son to him, either."