Misfortune had made Lily supple instead of hardening her, and a pliable substance is less easy to break than a stiff one.

Wharton was a committed supporter of French imperialism describing herself as a "rabid imperialist" and the war solidified her political conservatism. In 1908 her husband's mental state was determined to be incurable. She called the villa "Sainte-Claire du Chateau" and filled the garden with cacti and subtropical plants.