“Oh, yes, mother--faithful,” Cecily shuddered at the words, “of course. I didn’t mean----” “My husband wasn’t,” said Mrs. Warner simply, and went on: “You have much to learn about men and much tolerance to acquire.” But the softening in Cecily was lost at that word. “Don’t you see that I think all this trouble comes because we are so tolerant? Tolerant of ideals! Why should I be tolerant of Walter’s wife? Of Fliss?” “Why do you bring in Florence Allenby?” “Because she typifies all the things I’m struggling against. She seems to invade this whole house with her ideas. I suppose she’s no worse than lots of others, but she’s the specific example. Dick admires her.” “Likes her, you mean.” “Well----” “Men are bound to like her. She’s the kind of woman that satisfies a need of men, for flattery, for play.” “She’s fun,” said Cecily, bitterly. Her mother agreed. “And because she’s fun and because Della is fun, Matthew is tied to her for the rest of his life and poor Walter at twenty-one is tied to his Della.” “But Matthew and Walter are happy.” “They shouldn’t be happy like that! It’s unworthy!” Mrs. Warner stood up. “We’ve talked a lot and I’m not convincing you. Perhaps I won’t ever convince you that I’m right. You’re strong, Cecily. You don’t know yet how strong. But when you were a little thing I could see the will in you, underneath the dreaming and the softness. I think now that your father’s laxities have turned in you to rigors. Just now you’re tired and upset by your problems and your household and inclined to group all your troubles into a very destructive point of view. You mustn’t. Walter is married. Gerald writes that he thinks it is all right. He likes Della, too. His father and I want to bring Walter home and to make the most of the situation. If Della is possible material to form into the sort of woman we would like to see Walter have for a wife, it is our privilege to do it. Your example will be necessary and helpful. You’re young, and you’re a happy, married woman.” She smiled at Cecily and Cecily smiled back through a mist of tears. “Please help me with Della by being tolerant of her. Think what it will mean to Walter to have his mistake, if it is a mistake, turned to good account--to have us receive his wife instead of being hard on her.” “You’re so fine and wise and beautiful,” sighed Cecily. “I am foolish; haunted by chimeras. But I feel so glad, mother, to have said it all.” “It isn’t ended in the saying. But it has helped us both to have talked a little. Shall we go to see the babies before I go?”