— for you even more than for him.’ Hermione lapsed into bitter reverie. ‘He is so uncertain, so unstable — he wearies, and then reacts. I couldn’t TELL you what his re-actions are. I couldn’t TELL you the agony of them. That which he affirms and loves one day — a little latter he turns on it in a fury of destruction. He is never constant, always this awful, dreadful reaction. Always the quick change from good to bad, bad to good. And nothing is so devastating, nothing — ’

‘Yes,’ said Ursula humbly, ‘you must have suffered.’

An unearthly light came on Hermione’s face. She clenched her hand like one inspired.

‘And one must be willing to suffer — willing to suffer for him hourly, daily —