A Heritage and its History Read Online Free Page B

ma’am. It is all before them.”
    â€œThe stress of life?”
    â€œWell, ma’am, its negation.”
    â€œPerhaps you should have married, Deakin.”
    â€œNo, ma’am. There is no end but one.”
    â€œYou know I do not see it as the end.”
    â€œNo, you are prepared to go on, ma’am.”
    â€œDo you not feel it is a happier belief?”
    â€œThat hardly bears on it, ma’am. Choice does not play much part.”
    â€œSo you do not look beyond your death?”
    â€œI have imagined feeling it was all over at last, ma’am. It would seem a sort of compensation. But that is not a thing to expect.”

Chapter 2
    â€œThere is no reason for being as late as this,” said Fanny Graham to her sister.
    â€œWe do not know yet. There may be many.”
    â€œWell, there may be one.”
    â€œThen we will wait to judge.”
    â€œMy judgement is ready. I don’t feel it will be wasted.”
    â€œWhy judge at all?” said Rhoda. “It is not one of our duties to each other.”
    â€œIt seems it must be. Unless it is a duty to ourselves.”
    â€œWe ourselves may sometimes be wrong.”
    â€œWell, then we are said to be.”
    â€œWe can find other people as little wrong as possible.”
    â€œI find them as wrong as they are.”
    â€œIt may be difficult to judge of that.”
    â€œCan it be? Everyone finds it so easy.”
    â€œThere is no need to voice our judgements.”
    â€œSilent ones are said to do more. And if we are never to blame anyone, what of the people who deserve praise?”
    â€œIt is true they do not have it very often.”
    â€œWell, I think they deserve blame more.”
    â€œDo you feel that of yourself?”
    â€œWell, I am better than most people. Are not you?”
    â€œNow let me think about that,” said Rhoda, leaning back. “You mean in my own opinion?”
    â€œYou would not be better in other people’s. Or they could not be.”
    â€œThere are people who can take generous views.”
    â€œBecause it proves they are better. You yourself feel it does.”
    â€œWell, there might be a worse ambition. And it may make them so.”
    â€œIt seems an arrogant one.”
    â€œWell, is there any ambition quite free from pride?”
    â€œNow let me think about that,” said Fanny, quoting her sister. “Perhaps some ambitions in themselves. None when they are realised.”
    â€œThat seems to be deep.”
    â€œYes, I thought it did. I tried to make it so.”
    â€œMine has been to manage a house and bring up an orphan sister. There is no pride there.”
    â€œI think there seems to be,” said Fanny.
    â€œWell, you said there was in all fulfilled ambition.”
    â€œAnd I think I seem to be right.”
    â€œYou know it is my thirty-eighth birthday today?”
    â€œYes, or I should not have made you a gift.”
    â€œDo you see I am going grey at the temples? Oh, people do not notice such things.”
    â€œIt is a kind they do notice. It reminds them that they are not going grey themselves. And if they are, they notice it more. They are waiting for it.”
    â€œFanny, you do not mean half you say.”
    â€œYes, often almost the whole.”
    â€œGrey hair is supposed to give people personality.”
    â€œIt does, the appearance of it. And that is what you mean.”
    â€œAh, there is the reason of the lateness,” said Rhoda, going to the window. “Hamish seems hardly to have the strength to move. And Sir Edwin does not take his eyes off him. Ah, there is trouble there. How right we were not to judge!”
    â€œAnd how generous you are! But it cannot be much comfort. It is true that things are wrong.”
    The sisters watched at the window, two upright, young women of ordinary height and build, with fair, straight faces, widely spaced eyes, and a likeness between them that seemed to