After Arthur had said good-night and gone, the two women sat in silence for a few minutes.
"It sounds awful stuff, Judith," said Esther at last, in a tone of candid regret.
"Yes, it does. But still those things do succeed often."
"Oh yes, and we'll hope!" She glanced at Judith. "He doesn't seem very—lovelorn!"
"He was pretty bad at first." She smiled faintly. "I had to be awfully disagreeable. Well, I'm quite good at it. Ever since then he's behaved wonderfully. But I don't know what he feels."
"Well, I hope he'll settle down to work, after all this nonsense."
"He hasn't got any work to settle to, poor boy!"
"Frank says it always comes if you watch and wait."
"I expect it's the successful men who say that." They had all been gay at dinner, but now Judith's voice sounded depressed and weary. Esther moved nearer to her side on the sofa.
"You've had a pretty hard time of it too, haven't you?" she asked sympathetically.