How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Oh. She's recovering very quickly, I think, all things considered. She took a very nasty knock, of course, over that Catchpole fellow, and all the unfortunate business afterwards." (1.12)
At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Margaret Peel's had a rough breakup with a guy named Catchpole. We don't know yet that she attempted suicide; but the fact that she's staying with the Welches' while she "recovers" definitely suggests that she's unstable in some way. Are we meant to think that an emotional breakdown is an understandable reaction to getting dumped by a boyfriend?
Quote #2
His first qualms had dated from then, but before that and for some time after he'd thought how much simpler this kind of honesty and straightforwardness made the awful business of getting on with women. (1.18)
Margaret's direct way of talking can make Jim uncomfortable at times, since she's always asking him where they stand in terms of boyfriend and girlfriend. But Jim has to admit that he prefers this kind of directness to the usual game-playing of the whole relationship thing. Jim generally thinks about relationships with women as an "awful business." Partly that's because of his own awkwardness with women, but it's also because he sees women as impossible—well, very difficult—to deal with in general.
Quote #3
That had been, as near as he could remember, on the morning before the evening when Margaret had tried to kill herself with sleeping-pills. (1.50)
Before this point, we know that Margaret's had a really bad breakup, but we had no idea that she actually attempted suicide. So not only is Margaret emotionally unstable, but it's actually worse than that; later on, we learn that this was all an act on Margaret's part. She's not depressed, she's a manipulator.