Can it be that chance has made me one of those women so immersed in one man that, whether they are barren or not, they carry with them to the grave the shriveled innocence of an old maid?

Summary

The quote suggests the possibility that the speaker, through a twist of fate or randomness (chance), has become deeply infatuated with a man. Regardless of their ability to bear children, they fear they will carry a sense of lost naivety and purity associated with an unmarried woman until the end of their life. The quote emphasizes the extent to which this passionate attachment has affected their identity and perception of self.

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