And yet . . .
Contrary to what generally happens, it was when one saw those two
women together that one lost all belief in the possibility of their
relationship near or far. It extended even to their common
humanity. One, as it were, doubted it. If one of the two was
representative, then the other was either something more or less
than human. One wondered whether these two women belonged to the
same scheme of creation. One was secretly amazed to see them
standing together, speaking to each other, having words in common,
understanding each other. And yet! . . . Our psychological sense
is the crudest of all; we don't know, we don't perceive how
superficial we are. The simplest shades escape us, the secret of
changes, of relations. No, upon the whole, the only feature (and
yet with enormous differences) which Therese had in common with her
sister, as I told Dona Rita, was amiability.
"For, you know, you are a most amiable person yourself," I went on.
"It's one of your characteristics, of course much more precious
than in other people. You transmute the commonest traits into gold
of your own; but after all there are no new names. You are
amiable. You were most amiable to me when I first saw you.
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