“My husband wasn’t,” said Mrs. Warner simply, and went on: “You have much to learn about men and much tolerance to acquire.”
But the softening in Cecily was lost at that word.
“Don’t you see that I think all this trouble comes because we are so tolerant? Tolerant of ideals! Why should I be tolerant of Walter’s wife? Of Fliss?”
“Why do you bring in Florence Allenby?”
“Because she typifies all the things I’m struggling against. She seems to invade this whole house with her ideas. I suppose she’s no worse than lots of others, but she’s the specific example. Dick admires her.”
“Likes her, you mean.”
“Well——”
“Men are bound to like her. She’s the kind of woman that satisfies a need of men, for flattery, for play.”
“She’s fun,” said Cecily, bitterly.
Her mother agreed.