"I cannot admit that," cried Edgar with eagerness; "to me, compromise is a detestable word. It is our business to aim at perfection, and to be satisfied with nothing less. The fact that we may fail in our endeavour to attain our ideal, in no way lessens our obligation to follow after it."
"But the danger is," said his mother, "that if we go in for perfection or nothing, we shall in all probability get nothing."
"I am afraid we must all be content with the second best in this world," remarked Mrs. Seaton.
"Yes," added Isabel, "like the man who said that as perfection in female beauty did not exist, he was looking out for a wife who could cook a potato properly."
"Certainly half a loaf is better than no bread," suggested Paul.
Edgar shook his head. "As long as people are content with half loaves they will never get whole ones."
"First let them be sure that they want whole ones," suggested Mr. Madderley.
"Exactly," cried Mrs. Stoneley. "People spend half their lives crying for things which would make them cry still more if they got them."
"Whole loaves would be very fattening, in the first place," continued the artist, "nothing would induce me to take one."
"Are you afraid of getting fat?" inquired Isabel, "I never think of it."