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258 with my management, and yet he does work against me. The children see him always pleasant, always gay, making an amusement of life, and I am always the taskmaster. It's unfair—but I wouldn't change with him. I'm the important person in the house, and they all know it, and have to do as I say. And I do enjoy the children—only Ernestine is trying. She is all her father, but the others are more like me—except they are not strong. They are beautiful children, aren't they? If I can only see them well launched in the world I shall be content."

"Content? … And for yourself, Nina? You're young—you aren't much more than thirty! For yourself—what do you want?"

"What should I want? I've had my love-affair. You know how much Ernesto was in love with me. After the first year, when the children came, of course it had to be different."

"You mean you were not in love with one another any longer?"

"In love—no! How can one be in love after the first? Life is too prosaic—it burns out. He's fond of me—that's all."

"And you're resigned to being prosaic for the rest of your life?"

"My dear child, what is marriage? It's an affair of family, it isn't two people in love with one another. You don't see it when you go into it, but later you have to see it. You have to