They were solemn questions and solemn replies, drawn out
of the deeps of life and sinking back into them.
"Frederick," she said, "for many years we have been happy together, so
happy! Every tragedy of nature has stood at a distance from us except
the loss of our children. We have lived on a sunny pinnacle of our
years, lifted above life's storms. But of course I have realized that
sooner or later our lot must become the common one: if we did not go
down to Sorrow, Sorrow would climb to us; and I knew that on the
heights it dwells best. That is why I wish to say to you to-night what
I shall: I think fate's hour has struck for me; I am ready to hear
it. Its arrow has already left the bow and is on its way; I open my
heart to receive it. This is as I have always wished; I have said that
if life had any greatest tragedy, for me, I hoped it would come when I
was happiest; thus I should confront it all. I have never drunk half
of my cup of happiness, as you know, and let the other half waste; I
must go equally to the depth of any suffering. Worse than the
suffering, I think, would be the feeling that I had shirked some of
it, had stepped aside, or shut my eyes, or in any manner shown myself
a cowardly soul.
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