"Not altogether." She pondered. "No doubt God had some wise purpose when he made Hugh marry me. I can see the wise purpose in Owen's marrying Laura, and the wise purpose in his not marrying Nina; but when it comes to poor, innocent Hugh tying himself up for ever and ever with a woman like me——"
"Don't put it on God. His purpose was wise enough."
"What was it?"
"Why—obviously—that I should have married you, that Hugh should have married Gertrude, and that some reputable young draper should have married Rose."
"Poor little Rose!"
"Poor little Rose would have been happy with her draper; Gertrude would have been happy with Brodrick; you—no, I, would have been divinely happy with you."
She laughed. "Oh, would you!"
"That was the heaven-appointed scheme. And there we were, all five of us, bent on frustrating the divine will—I beg Gertrude's pardon—Gertrude's will was entirely in accord."
"It sounds delightfully simple, but I doubt if it would have worked out so. We've all got as much of each other as we want."
"That's what we haven't got. Very large, important pieces of each of us have been taken and given to the wrong person. Look at you—look at me."