He had long regarded Mrs. Wyndham
as a woman of fine sense and judgment, and had often asked her opinion on
important questions. But in all his experience she had never said anything
that seemed to strike so deeply at the root of things as this simple
remark of Josephine's.
"I am afraid you are angry," said Joe, seeing that he was grave and
silent.
"You have set me thinking, Miss Thorn," he answered.
"You think I may be right?" she said.
"The idea is quite new to me, I think it is perhaps the best definition of
the fact that I ever heard. But it is not what ought to be."
"Of course not," Joe answered. "Nothing is just what it ought to be. But
one has to take things as they are."
"And make them what they should be," added John, and the look of strong
determination came into his face.
"Ah, yes," said Joe, softly. "Make things what they should be. That is the
best thing a man can live for."
"Perhaps we might go home, Joe," said Miss Schenectady, who had been
conversing for a couple of hours with another old lady of literary tastes.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197