"
She was not certain what she wanted from life, or
what to expect from it, for she had seen so little
of it, but she was sure that in some way - because
she willed it to be so - her wants and her
expectations were the same.
For a while after their marriage she was in such
demand that it was not unpleasant when he fell
asleep. Presently, however, he began sleeping all
night, and it was then she awoke more frequently,
and looked into the darkness, wondering about the
nature of men, doubtful of the future, until at last
there came a night when she shook her husband awake
and spoke of her own desire. Affably he placed one
of his long white arms around her waist; she turned
to him then, contentedly, expectantly, and secure.
However, nothing else occurred, and in a few minutes
he had gone back to sleep.
This was the night Mrs. Bridge concluded that while
marriage might be an equitable affair, love itself
was not."
—
Evan S. Connell
(Mrs.
Bridge: A Novel)