Adelightfulmbeginsleasantbreakfast.Novellikedtohaveitinthediningroom,sittingatthetablebytherowofFrendows,lookingontoabedofrhododendrons，withthebrilliantbluewateroftheswimmingpoolsparklinglikesapphiresiance．Ba，scrambledeggsandcoffeeseemedtohaveanaddedfvorwheeninsuchpleasantsurroundings．Todayshewokeupinagoodmood,butthenthememoryofenjoyingthesamefoodatbreakfastwithJoshuasaddenedher．Hewasgooreturn.Suddenlyanunpleasantseappearedinhermindandspoiledhermoodfortheday．IthappenedoumndaywhenshewaslivinginAtntaandhadadesiretowanderaboutatwillinthewoodnds，sleepingaingonlywheired．Thetreesweregettingbare.Brownandredfallenleavesformedathickcarpetontheground,givingheracertainpleasurablefeelingwhenherfeettreadandsankintotheloosesoil．Butthehersuddenlyged．Novelquicklyturnedonherradio,onlytofindthatahurriewasabouttondthatevening．Shehasteeps,eagertofindasafehavenihergerinns．Hurryingon,worriedthatshelterwouldnotbefoundintime,shewassuddenlystartledtoseetheskinnedbodyofasnakeswingingtoandfroonthebranchofatreebeforeher．Snakeshibernateincoldweather,soshecouldnotuandhowitgottobekilledandskinned,butshewasintoogreatofahurrytoptemuch．Buttheimpressionofthisunpleasantseremaihherwherevershewent.Evenintheremotesteroftheearth,itwouldsuddenlyjustcropupinhermemory．
Shewasinthelivingroomlookingforhershoesiogotowork,whenshesuddenlyrealizedshehadnoofficetogotonow．Afterherhusband’sdeath,findingshecouldnothahepublishingpanyalone,shesoldit．Somehowshefeltrestless，feelingtherewassomethingsheshouldhavedodidn’t．Searghermind，itsuddenlydawnedohatshehadhepapersyet．No,shehadhepaperssinceJoshua’sdeath．Habitsofformerdaysstillydormantinhermemoryandoccurredagainwhendistressed．Shelitacigaretteandsatdown．
Thelivingroomwashugewithtwosetsoffurniture：oneese,oern．Theesesetwasmadeofrosewood,cqueredandeboratelycarved,coveredwithembroideredsatincushions.Thewesterwasofvelvet,softandfortable．Therewerethingsscatteredaroundtheroom，chosenfortheirartisticvalue：athickPersiancarpetwovenwithpicturesoftheCrusaders,sculptureoffuciusotbellywhichJoshuachosebecauseitwassodifferentfromtheusuallikenessandshowedtheiivenessoftheartist，areplicaofRodin’s"Musing"，hisfavoritesculpture．Nooneknewwhatthatmanwasthinkingofsittingtherecradlinghischeeksinhishands．TherewasalsoanivorycarvingofaThaidancer,frozeninherbeautifundmeicalposture．Thesewereallmasterpicesmadebyartistsdepigthehumanbodyastheirsubjectmatter．Man’sposturediffersinthedifferentstagesofhislife．Theeandvivaciousnessofchildhood,wherelifeforcesbrewandgrowforalongtimeexplodeintotheseeminglyeverstingenergyofyouth，likethebudjustburstingwithbloom．Thehestabilityandsophisticationofadulthood，themostpreciousandgoldenageofman,whichisliketheflowerinfullbloom,themostbeautifundfasatingstage,untilitmellowsandfadesintooldage,wherethebodyshrinksandshrivelsandthefacewrinkles．Butitislikethesettingsunwhichleavesitsresiduewarmthoh,symbolizingthekindnessalenessofoldage．Thoughman’sbodygebecauseofoutwardenviroandcircumstances,wemakeourmindsandsoulsintomasterpieces,justliketheartistswhomakeourbodiesintoart．
ItwasatthisstageofhislifethatJoshuamarriedshedidnotmindtheagedifference．Havinglostherfatherduringchildhood,shelookeduptohimasafatherfigure，seemingtopromisesafetyandsecurity．Shethoughtthatthesixtieswereamayearsbecausethenhewasmatureandasfullofsubstanceasanepic．Joshua’sfaceseemedtoappearbeforeher,itssternandsolemnexpressionemphasizedbyhisrimlessgsses.Hismeticulouscalcutionsoftimewasanobsessionbonmania，ashewouldusehiscalcutortopnhisdayexacttotheverysedastohowlonghecouldspendoneachofhisdailyactivities．As，exadaccurateashewas，therewasnowayhecouldcalcutehowlonghisheartwouldkeepbeating．Itwasatimebombthatcouldexplodeatanyminute.Novelusedtobehisprivatehenshegraduallytookoverthedutiesofhisbusinessassistant,beforefinallybeinghiswife．
Shewasstillloafingonthesofawhenallkindsofpicturescameunbiddenintoherhead.Thefirsticasso’spaintingur-faan"．WhenNovelfirstsawit，shehadthoughtitweirdandstraoexpressthingswithtriangles，butitleftadeepimpressionradually，shecametoappreciatethatthetriangurshapewasharmonious．Thenthesegedtothefamouspictureedoldigupleft-overearsofwheatfromanalreadyharvestedfield．Shewassmilingfaintlyinsatisfa．Novelwasdeeplymovedbythepicture．
Suddenlyshegrewnervousandbrokeintoacoldsweatbecauseanotherchildhoodsecrowdedintohermemory．Shewasonlytenoreleventhen，havingjustmovedintoanapartmentohfloorofatenstoreybuilding,theupperstoriesofwhichhadnotbeenfinished．SuchhighapartmeillheSouthatthetimeandshelovedtogouptotherooftopandpy．Oneday,pyingoopoftheunfinishedbuilding，shesaacebetweenthebalies,whichseemedfrletobenarrowenoughtojumpeasilyover．Sherantowardsit,intendingtodojustthat．Whealmosttotheedge，shefoundthatitwasactuallyafourtofivemeterwideopening!Shestoppedaghast,heartpounding,bodystillswayingfromtherunandimmediatelysquatteddowntokeepherselffromfalling．Ifshehadn’tstoppedintime,shewouldhavefallenfromtheheightoftenstoriestid．Thistraumaticexperieenrecurredinhermind,causingfearandtension,whichshefeltwasharmfultoherbothmentallyandphysically．So,whehathappened,shewouldvisualizeherselfasafeather,flitteringandfallingharmlesslytotheground．EvenifshehadfallenfromtheEmpireStateBuildinginNewYork,thendingwouldhavebeenassoftasastolenkiss．Thinkingso,thetensionlooseally.Hermusclesrexedtotheirfullestcapacityandherbodybecameaslimpasaballofcotton．Shereedparalyzedonthesofa．Thebrainwasiheoddestandmostamazinganofthebody．Man’sthoughtsareabstravisibleandintangible,buttheyundeniablyexistandworkjustastheansdo．Man’sthoughtsworkjustaslungsbreatheandstomachsdigest．Theimageofthesnakecamebackagain．Shedidn’tknowwhythatpathetinedbodyswingingonthebranthecoldwindwassohauntingtohermind．ApooltableappearedandJoshuaseemedtobepying,designingeachshotatanaogetthemostballsintothepocket...
Suddenly,Novelseemedtofeeltheghostofhertehusbandwanderingalloverthehouse．Theluxuriousantiquemansionimposedonhersuchasenseofsuffogdepressionthatshefeltaoescape．Steppingontothedriveway,shesawhernannyMarshawhoaskedinsurprise,
"Whereareyougoing,honey?"
"I’mgettingboredwithnothingtodo．I’mgoingtovisitmycousinElina.”Jamazhadjustwashedandwaxedthecar．Heopehedoorforhersolicitouslyandthelycloseditafterherwhenshehadgotin．Asshedroveaway,shelookedattherearviewmirrorandsawthetwoofthemwhisperingsurreptitiouslytogether,butshedidnotpayatentiontothem．
"Wemustactfast．Elinaisnotonlyaor,butashrewdwomanaswell．You’dbettermakeamovetonight.”
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