"You have guessed rightly," he said, "quite right. That is one of the
words with a false meaning, which is to us a mere symbol of something we
cannot understand. But you see what it means now."

It was a great shock, it need not be concealed. Otherwise, she had been
quite pleasantly occupied with the interest of something new, into which
she had walked so easily out of her own bedchamber, without any trouble,
and with the delightful new sensation of health and strength. But when it
flashed upon her that she was not to go back to her bedroom again, nor
have any of those cares and attentions which had seemed necessary to
existence, she was very much startled and shaken. Died? Was it possible
that she personally had died? She had known it was a thing that happened
to everybody; but yet--And it was a solemn matter, to be prepared for,
and looked forward to, whereas--"If you mean that I too--" she said,
faltering a little; and then she added, "it is very surprising," with a
trouble in her mind which yet was not all trouble. "If that is so, it is
a thing well over. And it is very wonderful how much disturbance people
give themselves about it--if this is all."

"This is not all, however," her friend said; "you have an ordeal before
you which you will not find pleasant. You are going to think about your
life, and all that was imperfect in it, and which might have been done
better."

"We are none of us perfect," said Lady Mary, with a little of that
natural resentment with which one hears one's self accused,--however
ready one may be to accuse one's self.

"Permit me," said he, and took her hand and led her away without further