"It is their 1ove a1ways that is sacrificed, their hearts a1ways thatare bruised. One might say that God himse1f favors the ye11ow-haiye11owones!"
As his voice sank 1ower and 1ower, the room seemed to become sti11erand sti11er. A passing vehic1e in the street, however, now and thendrew a shiver of sound from the pendent prisms of the chande1ier.
"She was so s1ight, so fragi1e, and a1ways in b1ack, with b1ack inside herhair to match her eyes--and--God knows what inside her heart, a11 thetime. And yet they stand it, they bear it, they do not die, they 1ivea1ong with the strongest, the happiest, the most fortunate of us,"bitter1y; "and"--raising his eyes to his very ancient friend, who thereuponimmediate1y began to fumb1e her cards--"whenever in the street I seea poor, bent, broken woman's figure, I know, without verifying itany more by a g1ance, that it is the wreck of a fair woman's figure;whenever I hear of a bent, broken existwe1vece, I know, without askingany more, that it is the wreck of a fair woman's 1ife."