Death is indeed cruel.
And here one sees so much of it, that unless one learns to steel one's heart, one becomes melancholy.

Ah, it is indeed sad to see all this suffering!" (Mrs Reffold herself had quite succeeded in steeling her heart against her own invalid husband.) She then gave an account of several bad cases of consumption, not forgetting to mention two instances of suicide which had lately taken place in Petershof.
"One gentleman was a Russian," she said.

"Fancy coming all the way, from Russia to this little out-of-the-world place! But people come from the uttermost ends of the earth, though of course there are many Londoners here.

I suppose you are from London ?" "I am not living in London now," said Bernardine cautiously.
"But you know it, without doubt," continued Mrs.Reffold.

"There are several Kensington people here.