Атлант расправил плечи

           Herlifeandhervaluescouldnotbringhertothat,shethought;shehadneverfoundbeautyinlongingfortheimpossibleandhadneverfoundthepossibletobebeyondherreach.Butshehadcometoitandshecouldfindnoanswer.

           Shecouldnotgivehimuporgiveuptheworld—shethought,lookingatGalt,thatevening.Theanswerseemedhardertofindinhispresence.Shefeltthatnoproblemexisted,thatnothingcouldstandbesidethefactofseeinghimandnothingwouldeverhavethepowertomakeherleave—and,simultaneously,thatshewouldhavenorighttolookathimifsheweretorenounceherrailroad.Shefeltthatsheownedhim,thattheunnamedhadbeenunderstoodbetweenthemfromthestart—and,simultaneously,thathewasabletovanishfromherlifeand,onsomefuturestreetoftheoutsideworld,topassherbyinunweightedindifference.

           ShenotedthathedidnotquestionheraboutFrancisco.Whenshespokeofhervisit,shecouldfindnoreactioninhisface,neitherofapprovalnorofresentment.Itseemedtoherthatshecaughtanimperceptibleshadinginhisgravelyattentiveexpression:helookedasifthiswereamatteraboutwhichhedidnotchoosetofeel.

           Herfaintapprehensiongrewintoaquestionmark,andthequestionmarkturnedintoadrill,cuttingdeeperanddeeperintohermindthroughtheeveningsthatfollowed—whenGaltleftthehouseandsheremainedalone.Hewentouteveryothernight,afterdinner,nottellingherwherehewent,returningatmidnightorlater.