But this covers everything--the
whole past."
"Have you ever had any great trouble before, Isabel?"
"No, I have never had any great trouble before. At times in my
life I may have thought I had, but now I know."
"You do not need to be told that sooner or later all of us have
troubles that we think we cannot bear."
She shook her head wearily: "It does not do any good to think of
that! It does not help me in the least!"
"But it does help if there is any one to whom we can tell our
troubles."
"I cannot tell mine."
"Cannot you tell me?"
"No, I believe I wish you knew, but I could not tell you. No, I do
not even wish you to know."
"Have you seen Kate?"
She covered her face with her hands again: "No, no, no," she cried,
"not Kate!" Then she looked up at him with eyes suddenly kindling:
"Have you heard what Kate's life has been since her marriage?"
"We have all heard, I suppose."
"She has never spoken a word against him--not even to me from whom
she never had a secret. How could I go to her about Rowan? Even
if she had confided in me, I could not tell her this."
"If you are going away, change of scene will help you to forget it."
"No, it will help me to remember."
"There is prayer, Isabel."
"I know there is prayer. But prayer does not do any good. It has
nothing to do with this."
"Enter as soon as possible into the pleasures of the people you are
to visit."
"I cannot! I do not wish for pleasure,"
"Isabel," he said at last, "forgive him.
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