After all, you know, you've got
to face the facts."
"You think she's dying now, and you're afraid to tell me."
"No--I'm afraid I think--she's not so likely to die as to go out of
her mind."
"Did you tell my father that?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He said she was out of her mind already."
"She isn't!"
"Of course she isn't. No more than you and I. He talks about putting
the poor child under restraint----"
"Oh----"
"It's preposterous. But he'll make it necessary if he continues his
present system. What I tried to impress on him is that she _will_
go out of her mind if she's kept shut up in that old Vicarage much
longer. And that she'd be all right--perfectly all right--if she was
married. As far as I can make out he seems to be doing his best to
prevent it. Well--in her case--that's simply criminal. The worse of it
is I can't make him see it. He's annoyed with me."
"He never will see anything he doesn't like."
"There's no reason why he should dislike it so much--I mean her
illness. There's nothing awful about it."
"There's nothing awful about Ally. She's as good as gold."
"I know she's as good as gold. And she'd be as strong as iron if she
was married and had children. I've seen no end of women like that, and
I'm not sure they don't make the best wives and mothers. I told your
father that. But it's no good trying to tell him the truth."
"No. It's the one thing he can't stand.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182