In spite of illness, in spite of even the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual state of disintegration if one is unafraid of change. Insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things and happy in small ways.

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.