"If you knew how good the salt water was to me, you might wonder,"
Diana answered cheerfully.
"Well, I never could see what there was in salt water!" said Mrs. Flandin, "that folks should be so crazy to go into it! If I was drownin', 'seems to me I'd rather have my mouth full o' sun'thin' sweet."
"But I was not drowning," said Diana.
"Well, I want to know what you've got by stayin' away from your place all summer"—her mother went on.
"Her place was there," said the minister, who followed Diana in.
"Now, dominie," said Mrs. Flandin, "you say that jes' 'cause she's your wife. Hain't her place been empty all these months? Where is a wife's place? I should like to hear you say."
"Don't you think it is where her husband wants her to be?"
"And you wanted her to be away from you down there? Do you mean that?"
"If he had not, I should not have gone, Mrs. Flandin," Diana said, and with a smile.
"Well now, du tell! what good did salt water do ye? The minister said you was gone to salt water somewheres."