Sainty is shy, physically weak, likes knitting and dislikes sports.

Cissy later gives birth to a son, who Sainty realises is the result of an affair with his cousin Claude.

Despite this, Sainty feels great love for the baby and is devastated when it falls ill and dies.

[1] Edith Wharton, a personal friend of Sturgis', nonetheless praised the novel.

She described it as "very nearly in the first rank", and tried in vain to have the novel published by Scribner's before it was picked up by Putnam.