Gertrude Stein




Chapter VI
from How Could They Marry Her

	   How could they.
	   We haven't seen her all week.
	   They even asked if she had gone to Serbia.
	   Please mention this that they even asked if she had gone to Serbia.
	   When we first heard the story we thought is was very different. We thought she had 
suffered because of coming in direct contact by means of a combination of being together with 
one who by reason of her nationality could not help evading retribution and realization. This was 
a thing that went in so completely with what we were then feeling that it was perfectly 
astonishing to us. We had come to believe that each one met a merry one and that each one was a 
merry one and that each one voiced that merry one and so on, to laughing. We were pleased with 
the added illustration and we often quoted it. We were not mistaken. We had an omission. We 
had not fainted. How is it that we had not questioned it. Because we were so sure.
	   When we had been told everything it was not disconcerting. How could it be 
disconcerting if we were told everything. By nearly every one models were staring. They wear 
hats this year and by this time we have been told everything.
	   I made a mistake. I thought I wrote in the book, I thought I was writing in the book, I 
hadn't made a mistake.
	   She wants to go to Serbia. I can understand lots of ways of wishing to go to Serbia show 
resolution and courage and forethought.
	   I can understand perfectly well why she doesn't want to see me.
	   She found that different ways of saying, I will not go alone, were not expected from one 
another. They were always beside it. They were uneasy and beside that was it flourishing. It was 
flourishing, if you want to look at it that way.
	   How could they marry her.
	   Serbia. What is powder. Powder is liquid and in movement and a cousin a cousin is 
willing to sacrifice her.
	   What is a coward. A coward is anyone who is willing to go to Serbia. Who is willing to 
go to Serbia some one without a heart. I was cured of that.
	   Her hair turned there.
	   This afternoon when we were looking at her hand we found that the impression we had had 
was the one we stated. We found that it is not difficult to explain that. We found that there 
were words, parts of words, and letters, and we knew strength. Strength is wonderful.
	   She says she is equal to it.
	   We looked and when we saw what imagination meant, what separation meant, what 
politeness meant, we were not longer surprised that we had that impression.
	   They are two. They do not resemble each other. They are not tall and they change their 
clothes.
	   I would have been better pleased if there had been more bother.
	   Potatoes.
	   I remember potatoes.
	   I will not finish with that. I am more resolute than anyone would expect.
	   I am not going to be led about.