THE FORTY-THIRD
Ester Tomská, that important, tall woman, who, following an unsuccessful but fortunately — as she said with a bit of nostalgia, into the depths of which she allowed very few people to gaze — fortunately childless marriage, returned to her maiden name, had reckoned that nothing in life would be able to knock her off balance again, so soon. She cared for her peace and privacy, to which access was forbidden to all save one good friend, with the same sort of quiet toughness as her mother. Like that mother, who had once hurt her, and whom, as the years advanced, she began to feel respect, again. However, that was taking place only on the inside, in the development of her thoughts and attitudes, whereas on the outside she was unable, or unwilling, to break the frosty silence tha
