Octavie had experienced many such moments of despair, but a blessed resignation had never failed to follow, and it fell then upon her like a mantle and enveloped her.
"I shall grow old and quiet and sad like poor Aunt Tavie," she murmured to herself as she folded the letter and replaced it in the secretary. Already she gave herself a little demure air like her Aunt Tavie. She walked with a slow glide in unconscious imitation of Mademoiselle Tavie whom some youthful affliction had robbed of earthly compensation while leaving her in possession of youth's illusions.
As she sat in the old cabriolet beside the father of her dead lover, again there came to Octavie the terrible sense of loss which had assailed her so often before. The soul of her youth clamored for its rights; for a share in the world's glory and exultation. She leaned back and drew her veil a little closer about her face. It was an old black veil of her Aunt Tavie's. A whiff of dust from the road had blown in and she wiped her cheeks and her eyes with her soft, white handkerchief, a homemade handkerchief, fabricated from one of her old fine muslin petticoats.
"Will you do me the favor, Octavie," requested the judge in the courteous tone which he never abandoned, "to remove that veil which you wear. It seems out of harmony, someway, with the beauty and promise of the day."
The young girl obediently yielded to her old companion's wish and unpinning the cumbersome, sombre drapery from her bonnet, folded it neatly and laid it upon the seat in front of her.
"Ah! that is better; far better!" he said in a tone expressing unbounded relief. "Never put it on again, dear." Octavie felt a little hurt; as if he wished to debar her from share and parcel in the burden of affliction which had been placed upon all of them. Again she drew forth the old muslin handkerchief.

Octavie曾经有过很多次像这样绝望的时候，但是那个祝福从来没有停止过跟随她，就像一顶斗篷，一直笼罩着她。
“我可能会像可怜的Tavie阿姨一样，在悲伤与平静中老去，”她自言自语，把那封信折叠好放回文件夹中。她早已习惯了对自己像Tavie阿姨的态度。她无意识地滑了一脚，还在想自己就像Tavie阿姨一样，年轻时幻想留下的记忆，那些世俗的补偿并不能代替那些青春时候留下的伤害。
她坐在敞篷车里，靠着死去的爱人的父亲，已经丢失掉的以前责骂她的哪种恐惧的感觉再一次袭来。她的灵魂喧闹着争取自己的权利，来分享这个世界的光荣和兴高采烈。她向后靠了靠，使面纱靠近她的脸。那是她的Tavie阿姨的一块黑色的旧面纱。路上尘土飞扬，她拿出她柔软的白色手帕擦她的面颊和眼睛。这是一块自制的手帕，是用她的一个旧衬裙编织的。
“Octavie,可以帮个忙吗？”法官用自己从来不变的谦逊的语气问道，“除掉你带着的面纱。它看起来是那么的不协调，在这个美丽的许愿日。”
小姑娘顺从地按照她老同伴的愿望做了，从她的软帽上拿下了那笨重的，阴暗的呢绒面纱，整齐地叠起来，放在了她前面的位子上。
“啊！好极了，太好了！”法官大大松了一口气。“再也不要戴上它了，亲爱的。”Octavie感到一丝疼痛，就像她希望阻止自己分享它所承担的痛苦的沉重包袱一样。她又一次掏出了她的手帕。