She was tortured by the secret thought
that, though her ambition had been to become just like those other
women, she was still distinguishable from them; and moreover, that she
was baffled in her attempt to analyze the distinction. Distinguishable
even from Flossy--from Flossy, who had slighted and then reviled her!
Why had she ever faltered in her distrust of these enemies of true
American society? Yet this lingering sense of torture served to whet her
new-found purpose to have done with them forever, and to obtain the
recognition and power to which she was entitled, in spite of their
impertinence and neglect.
The announcement was made to her by Wilbur at about this time that his
plans for Wetmore College had been accepted, and that he was to be the
architect of the new buildings. As he told her his face showed a
tremulous animation which it had not worn for many weeks, and he
regarded her for a moment with shy eagerness, as though he half hoped
that this vindication of his purposes by success might prompt her to
tender some sort of apology, and thus afford him the chance to persuade
himself that he had been mistaken after all in his judgment of her.
"You must be very much pleased," she said. "And so am I, of course.
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