Helen and her mother were talking about Scoris’ letter and the advantage of the solar system would be to all the colonies. Presently Helen says I am sorry for Paul for I know he has always loved Scoris, and she doesn’t deny what the papers are saying.
While they were talking Paul Arling’s mother called. She said she had come to ask if it was true that Scoris was going to marry someone out in the new Colony?
Mrs. Vivian told her that Scoris had never written them about it, but she hadn’t denied it either. That possibly she had intended waiting until she came home before letting them know.
They had been old friends, Mrs. Arling reminded Mrs. Vivian, and she had hoped that some day Scoris would have been her daughter-in-law.
Mrs. Vivian sat with her chin resting on her hand, looking away out to the future; in thought she, too, had wished that Paul and Scoris would marry sometime.
“Our dreams rarely come true,” she replied, softly. “I had hoped that all my children would be near me while I live, but, ah, well,” she sighed, “Scoris has always been a sensible girl and I am sure will not make a mistake.”
Mrs. Arling reported the conversation to Paul and it seemed to him a fact that he had lost Scoris after all these years waiting to have something to offer her. He didn’t try to hide his grief from his mother, and when he told her why he hadn’t spoken to Scoris, she reminded him that he had been in fault.
“You must remember that it is the custom for women to keep silence on that subject. I always supposed that there was an understanding between you.”
“To tell the truth, so did I,” he answered.
“There you go!” she said. “Like all the rest of men, taking things for granted. I would sooner have had one room for the rest of my life than to have come between you two. Why, with the advantages we have here in this colony I would have been more comfortable, for I would have less care.”