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           ItwasmademagicallyeasyforFeetoforgetthem—theyhadthreeveryeagermothers—andastimewentonitbecametheacceptedthingthattheyshouldspendmostoftheirwakinghoursupatthebighouse.Meggiejustdidn’thavetimetotakethemunderherwingaswellasmanagingHal,whowasextremelypossessive.Notforhimtheawkward,unpracticedblandishmentsofMrs.Smith,MinnieandCat.MeggiewasthelovingnucleusofHal’sworld;hewantednoonebutMeggie,hewouldhavenoonebutMeggie.

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           BlueyWilliamstradedinhislovelydrafthorsesandhismassivedrayforatruckandthemailcameeveryfourweeksinsteadofeverysix,buttherewasneverawordfromFrank.Andgraduallyhismemoryslippedalittle,asmemoriesdo,eventhosewithsomuchloveattachedtothem;asifthereisanunconscioushealingprocesswithinthemindwhichmendsupinspiteofourdesperatedeterminationnevertoforget.ToMeggie,anachingfadingofthewayFrankhadlooked,ablurringofthebelovedlineamentstosomefuzzy,saintlikeimagenomorerelatedtotherealFrankthanaholy-pictureChristtowhatmusthavebeentheMan.AndtoFee,fromoutofthosesilentdepthsinwhichshehadstilledtheevolutionofhersoul,asubstitution.

           Itcameaboutsounobtrusivelythatnoonenoticed.ForFeekeptherselffoldedupwithquietness,andatotalundemonstrativeness;thesubstitutionwasaninnerthingnoonehadtimetosee,exceptthenewobjectofherlove,whomadenooutwardsign.