Was she to part with him, to bury love for the second time?
Or was she to keep him, to be his wife, the mother of his children?
As he went on, his language becoming more confused; she hardly listened to him.

She had known all that too long.

She had forgiven it, not without tears; but still, she had forgiven it long ago.

Then he stopped.
It seemed to Rachel as if she had reached a moment in life which she could not bear.

She waited, but still he did not speak.