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Show 68 hoped he did. But in a minute, her anger began to pass. It would not do anyone any good, her anger. No, it was not what she should feel. She relented. But it was a terrible thing. Terrible. How terrible? I'm going to snatch you bald: that was what her grandmother used to say when she was misbehaving as a child. But at the time, the image had been ridiculous, it had made her laugh. It had simply been a warning, rather playful actually, for her to quiet down, to mind. But since there was such a phrase in the language, there must be some original basis for it. Maybe it was not so bad, so terrible, what had happened. It could have been worse, she supposed. Suddenly she pitied Oscar. If he was not such a cold man! So removed. So cut off from everyone at the house. He seemed to deny his feelings until they exploded-until they controlled him. That made him dangerous. But in another way, he was also to be pitied. For when a person denies his feelings, she thought, terrible things can happen. No, she was not angry at Oscar. Not like Katie was. But then, part of Katie's anger was from guilt. From the self suspicion that her own hand was somehow involved in this. Although Katie would never admit that. Even to herself. Yes, Katie was denying her own feelings too. Never, Sharon vowed, in her own life would she do that. Always she would attempt to know-to consciously know-just what her own feelings were. To not know was to invite suffering and pain. Even disaster. Into the room Jeanne slipped, closing the door and leaning back |