She left Sally, it is true, a woman with a wounded heart to nurse,
an aching misery to bear; but she left her with a sanity of purpose
which can take up the tangled threads and, however blinded be the
eyes with weeping, with fingers feeling their way, can unravel the
knotted mass that lies before her.
So she slowly returned to the common factors of existence, and in
six weeks from the time of Traill's departure, was ready to smile
at any moment to the humour of Janet's dry criticisms of life. But
to move from her rooms, to disassociate herself from the past with
every sorrow and every joy that it contained, was more than she could
bring herself to do. Through all Janet's persuasions, Sally remained
obdurate.
"I've only got the rooms for three years," she replied finally. "I
can't think of it as really past until that time's gone by; Then,
I will. I'll go anywhere you like. I'll come and share your studio
with you."
They entered into a formal agreement on that and, knowing the Romance
in Sally's nature, Janet pursued her quest of success on the other
point no further.
But circumstance, with an arm stronger than Janet could ever wield,
succeeded where she had failed.
Pages:
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444