"Vick, I don't believe that you know whether a woman has a figure! You might write a Symphonie Colossale with Alice and her brood as the theme."
"She is Woman," suggested Vickers.
"Woman!" Isabelle scoffed. "Why is child-bearing considered the corner-stone of womanhood? Having young? Cows do that. Women are good for other things,—inspiration, love, perhaps!" She curved her pretty lips at her brother mockingly….
There were two telegrams at the house. Isabelle, opening the first, read aloud, "Reach Grafton three thirty, Tuesday. John," and dropped it on the table. The other she did not read aloud, but telephoned an answer to the telegraph office. Later she remarked casually, "Tom finds he can get back earlier; he'll be here by the end of the week."
CHAPTER L
"There's Steve," Isabelle said to Vickers, "coming across the meadow with his boys. He is an old dear, so nice and fatherly!"
The heavy man was plodding slowly along the path, the four boys frisking around him in the tall June grass like puppies.
"He has come to see John about some business. Let us take the boys and have a swim in the pool!"
Isabelle was gay and happy this morning with one of those rapid changes in mood over night that had become habitual with her. When they returned from their romp in the pool, the boys having departed to the stable in search of further amusement, Lane and Johnston were still talking while they slowly paced the brick terrace.
"Still at it!" exclaimed Isabelle. "Goodness! what can it be to make John talk as fast as that! Why, he hasn't said half as many words to me since he's been back. Just look at 'em, Vick!"