human
It's from your father,
gpt
What can he have to write to you about?
human
Poor fellow--it seems he's been ill. Sylvia, how long has it been since you visited your father?
gpt
Does he want me to come to see him?
human
He hints at that pretty strongly. Yes, that's really the substance of his letter.
gpt
I've never been back since we were married.
human
But isn't that--doesn't that seem rather neglectful?
gpt
Yes, it does seem so. I think I've hinted that I wasn't happy in my old home life; but I've never talked very much about it. I ought to tell you, I think, that I want to forget all about it. I want the old relationship broken off completely.
human
That won't do, he declared.
gpt
Believe me, you're making a mistake. You're a good deal younger than I, Sylvia, and it's the way of the young to believe that for every old tie broken a new one can be formed. At your age life seems to have an abundance of everything. But you'll be dismayed, in a few years, to discover that most things come to us but once, and that nearly all the best things come to us in our youth.