'I've just a quarter of an hour to give you,' said Sir Tito, suddenly turning into a serious man of business. And, indeed, he always had many appointments, not a few of which were on some subject connected with love affairs. Like Aylmer, but in a different way, Sir Tito was always being consulted, but, oddly enough, while it was the parents and guardians usually who went to Aylmer, husbands worried about their wives, mothers about their children; to the older man it was more frequently the culprit or the confidant himself or herself who came to confide and ask for help and advice. Edith said: 'The dreadful thing I've to tell you, Landi, is that I've completely changed.' 'Comment?' 'Yes. I'm in love with him all over again.' 'C'est vrai?' 'Yes. I don't know how and I don't know why. When he first made that suggestion, it seemed wild--impossible. But the things he said--how absolutely true it is. Landi, my life's been wasted, utterly wasted.' Landi said nothing. 'I believe I was deceiving myself,' she went on. 'I've got so accustomed to living this sort of half life I've become almost _abrutie_, as you would say. I didn't realise how much I cared for him. Now I know I always adored him.' 'But you were quite contented.' 'Because I made myself so; because I resolved to be satisfied. But, after all, there's something in what he says, Landi. My life with Bruce is only a makeshift. Nothing but tact, tact, tact. Oh, I'm so tired of tact!' She sighed. 'It seems to me now really too hard that I should again have such a great opportunity and should throw it away. You see, it is an opportunity, if I love him--and I'm not deceiving myself now. I'm in love with him. The more I think about it the more lovely it seems to me. It would be an ideal life, Landi.' He was still silent. She continued: 'You see, Aylmer knows so well how much the children are to me, and he would never ask me to leave them. There's no question of my ever leaving them. And Bruce wouldn't mind. Bruce would be only too thankful for me to take them. And there's another thing--though I despised the idea at the time, there's a good deal in it. I mean that Aylmer's well off, so I should never be a burden. He would love to take the responsibility of us all. I would leave my income to Bruce; he would be quite comfortable and independent. Oh, he would take it. He might be a little cross, but it wouldn't last, Landi. He would be better off. He'd find somebody--someone who would look after him, perhaps, and make him quite happy and comfortable. You're shocked?' 'Ca ne m'etonne pas. It's the reaction,' said Landi, nodding. 'How wonderful of you to understand! I haven't seen him again, you know. I've just been thinking. In fact, I'm surprised at myself. But the more I reflect on what he said, the more wonderful it seems.... Think how he's cared for me all this time!'