She continued not paying attention to her own words, observing him. No feature of the man’s face gave away his wife’s leaving him. Fugitively she saw in her mind’s eye that almost always silent figure, with her impassive, sovereign face, whom she had feared and hated. And, in spite of the repulsion that the wife still inspired in her, recollecting, Joana realized with surprise that not only then, but perhaps always, she had felt united with her, as if they both had something secret and evil in common.
