And that was not all!" She hesitated, but
she could not stop midway, and it was far too late for her to recover
her ground. She went on to the end.
"I married, as I say, knowing nothing of the important things. I
believed at the first that mine was just the allotted life of all women.
But I began soon to have my doubts. I got to know that there was
something more to be won out of existence than mere dulness; at least,
that there was something more for others, though not for me. One could
not help learning that. One passed a man and a woman riding together,
and one chanced to look into the woman's face as one passed; or one saw,
perhaps, the woman alone and talked with her for a little while, and
from the happiness of her looks and voice one knew with absolute
certainty that there was ever so much more. Only the chance of that
ever so much more my mother had denied to me."
All the sternness had now gone from Durrance's face, and Mrs. Adair was
speaking with a great simplicity. Of the violence which she had used
before there was no longer any trace. She did not appeal for pity, she
was not even excusing herself; she was just telling her story quietly
and gently.
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