He turned, set his back against the rail, and looked at her in her hooded shelter.
"We spoke of progress. The picture's an allegory, of course, an allegory of the spiritual progress of the world, and of each one of us. I remember telling Isaacson how firmly I believed in the triumph of good in the world and the individual."
"And what did he say?"
"Isaacson? I don't know that he quite took my view."
"He's a tiny bit of a suspicious man, I think."
"Perhaps he wants more solid proof—proof you could point to and say, 'Look there! I rely on that!' than I should."
"He's ever so much more terre à terre than you are."
"Oh, Ruby, I don't know that!"
"Yes, he is. He's a delightfully clever and a very interesting man, but, though he mayn't think it he's terre à terre. He sees with extraordinary clearness, but only a very little way, and he would never believe anything important existed beyond the range of his vision. You are not like that!"
"He's a thousand times cleverer than I am."