Anne Douglas Sedgwick

“ She'd never believe in all for love and the world well lost.”
Toppie was considering him. “You say she's made you more French. It's true that you understand things you never could have understood before.—You know how horribly afraid your understanding made me once.—But as I listen to you it seems to me that you are the most English thing there is. What Frenchman would ever do what you have done, or feel what you feel about Alix? Isn't it an English way of feeling to love like that, without a thought of self?—And Alix has shown us, shown you and me, Giles, how she can love.” ”

“ She had taken his avowal quite for granted.
“If she loves anyone, it's Jerry.”
“They won't marry,” said Toppie. “There are too many difficulties; and he doesn't love her enough.”
“Yes, he does, if he's helped. It's someone like Jerry she needs; someone young and gay, with things to offer her. I've nothing to offer Alix.”
“You have your love. No one will ever love Alix as you do.” Toppie's loving eyes scanned his face while her confident voice thus assured him.
“But that's no reason, for her.—She'll have other people's love. It's true, dear Toppie ”

“ Madame Vervier has made them easy to hear, and Lady Mary felt that since it was so Alix wasn't a possible person for her son to marry.”
“But I thought she loved Alix,” Toppie said. She was not thinking of madame Vervier and the things Lady Mary had heard. She was thinking of Alix.
Giles knew again the flavour of his old bitterness. “She doesn't love her enough. Perhaps one shouldn't expect it.”
“But one does expect it. And does he love her enough?” asked Toppie.
Giles stopped to meditate. He had often to meditate over Jerry. “I see a lot of him, you know,” he said presently. ”