It made her glad to think that Bessie, whom she so dearly loved, was happy.
And yet she felt angry with John with that sort of anger which we feel against those who have blindly injured us.

Why should it be in his power to hurt her so cruelly?
Still she hoped that he would be happy with Bessie, and then she hoped that these wretched Boers would take Pretoria, and that she would be shot or otherwise put out of the way.
She had no heart for life; all the colour had faded from her sky.

What was she to do with her future?
Marry somebody and busy herself with rearing a pack of children?
It would be a physical impossibility to her.
No, she would go away to Europe and mix in the great stream of life and struggle with it, and see if she could win a place for herself among the people of her day.

She had it in her, she knew that; and now that she had put herself out of the reach of passion she would be more likely to succeed, for success is to the impassive, who are also the strong.

She would not stop on the farm after John and Bessie were married; she was quite determined as to that; nor, if she could avoid it, would she return there before they were married.