And as part of the conspiracy, Ethel had several meetings with Nourse and Sally Crothers, in the hope of bringing Sally's husband into the firm to be there in Joe's absence.

This was far from easy, for Crothers naturally held back; he did not care to commit himself until he knew that Joe would agree.

And whether Joe would agree or not was by no means certain.
Watching him as his health came back, Ethel wondered how he would be when he returned to the office.

How much of what he had said to her, the first night of his illness, had come only from a mind keyed up?
How much of his promise would he remember?
Men sick and men well are in separate worlds.

She could not speak of it to Joe, for the doctor had forbidden it.
At the end of another month, however, Joe was up and about again; and soon, in spite of the doctor's instructions, he was back at his office hard at work.