Chapter 16 sixteen

Subsequent events showed Mrs. Strickland to be a strong woman.No matter how much grievance she felt, she didn't show it.She was wise enough to know that people would soon tire of telling her misfortunes all the time, and that a constant pitiful look was not flattering.Whenever she went out to visit—and many friends invited her out of sympathy for her plight—she behaved very well.She was brave without being explicit; cheerful without being obtrusive; she seemed more willing to listen to others' troubles than to discuss her own misfortunes.Whenever she talked about her husband, she always expressed her pity for him.This attitude of hers towards him baffled me at first.One day she said to me:

"You know, you must have been mistaken when you told me Charles was alone in Paris. From what I've heard—I can't tell you where it came from—I know he didn't leave England alone. " "If that's the case, he can really be said to be invisible, and he is simply a genius." Mrs. Strickland looked away from me, and flushed a little. "I mean, if anyone talks to you about it, if he's running off with some woman, you don't have to argue." "Of course I don't argue." She changed the subject as if what she had just said was an insignificant matter.I soon discovered that there was a strange story circulating among her friends.They said Charles Strickland was infatuated with a French dancer whom he had first met at a ballet at the Empire and who had gone to Paris with her afterwards.How this story came to be circulated I have no way of knowing, but it is strange that it has gained Mrs. Strickland a great deal of sympathy, and a great deal of fame at the same time.This has some benefits for the industry she decides to pursue in the future.Colonel MacAndrew was not exaggerating when he said that she was penniless.She needs to find a way to earn a living as soon as possible.She decided to take advantage of the advantage of her acquaintance with a number of writers, and set about learning shorthand and typing without delay.Her education will make her engage in this industry above the average typist, and her experience will also attract many customers for her.Friends promised to get her work, and to recommend her wholeheartedly to their acquaintances.

The McAndrews have no children and their living conditions are very good, so they take on the responsibility of raising her children. Mrs. Strickland only needs to maintain her own life.She rented the place, sold the furniture, and settled in two small rooms near Westminster.She rearranged her life.She is very capable, and the business she is determined to start must be successful.