"I know this—the only times I've ever felt afraid—real fear—it was on account of Laurence—when he was in danger."
"You didn't exactly want him, then, but you didn't want to lose him either?... You wanted him in some way."
"Oh ... that's enough about that.... But I was talking about Nora. I can see she thinks she'll be thrown out again. Any how she just hates me."
"Well, naturally."
"But I tell you, I'm sorry for what I did. I'd like her to know it. But I can't say anything to her. It seems, everything I could say would sound—patronizing, or forgiving, or—wrong, anyway."
"Of course. You're in possession, you see. She knows it, and that she hasn't got any real hold. You can't get around that. I don't see what you can do about it."
"But, you see, she really gave up her life—first to my children, and then.... She would have married and had children of her own."
"No doubt. She might yet. But not while Laurence is around. It's a real passion on her side."
"Well—that's my doing. I mean, that it lasted as long as it did. It was because I acted the way I did that he didn't break with her then."
"He'd have been glad to, many times since, I guess. She is as jealous as the devil, and makes scenes about any shadow of a woman. Naturally—she knows she hasn't got much of a hold on him, only he feels responsible.... I don't really see, Mary, why you should have made such a fuss about her.... It isn't as if he'd ever been in love with her.... Why couldn't you let him have his humble handmaiden ... or at any rate, not upset the whole apple-cart on account of it?"