"I scarcely know—I haven't made up my mind. How does she seem to you?"
"She does too much,—she's not strong enough," Alice replied evasively.
"No, she doesn't seem strong; but she can't keep still!"
"She gets so little comfort out of anything,—that is the worst of it. Sometimes I wish John weren't so strong,—that he would have an illness, so that Isabelle would have something definite to do."
"She would have a trained nurse!" Vickers suggested with a laugh.
"She is such a dear,—I wish she were happier!"
"Perhaps that isn't in the blood."
"But I never saw a happier creature than she was the day she was married!
And John is a fine fellow, and she has everything a woman could want."
"A woman wants a good many things these days."…
They chatted on about Isabelle and her love of people, and then about St. Louis and the old days at Grafton. For the first time since he had landed, it seemed to Vickers, he was permitted to ignore his failure,—he was at home. When he rose to go, Alice protested:—