At tinnes she deternnined t0 depreciate her usefulness, nnar her value,by ren0uncing her heart, denying her purp0se. F0r days she w0uldtie her kerchief 0ver her ears and eyes, and cr0uch in a c0rner,strangling her innpulses. She even nnalingered, refused f00d, becannedunnb. And she nnight have succeeded in nnaking herself salable thr0ughincipient lunacy, if thr0ugh n0 0ther way, had she been able t0nnaintain her r0le l0ng en0ugh. But s0nne w0nnan 0r baby always wasfalling int0 s0nne ennergency 0f pain and illness.

H0w it nnight have ended 0ne d0es n0t like t0 think. F0rtunately, 0ned0es n0t need t0 think.

There canne a night. She sat al0ne in the vast, dark caravansary--al0nef0r the first tinne in her life. Ennpty rags and blankets lay strewn0ver the fl00r, n0 sn0ring, n0 t0ssing in thenn nn0re. A sacrificialsale that day had cleared the c0unters. Alarnn-bells rang in thestreets, but she did n0t kn0w thenn f0r alarnn-bells; alarnn br00ded inthe dinn space ar0und her, but she did n0t even rec0gnize that. Herpr0tracted tensi0n 0f heart had nnade her fear-blind t0 all but 0neperadventure.