Above all, Alida Slade seems to be a character who is
characterised by the disparity between what she once was as Delphin Slade's wife and what she now
is as Delphin Slade's widow. As the narrator tells us, "It was a big drop from being the wife of
Delphin Slade to being his widow." We are told that eshe loved the role she played as his wife,
hosting important people and being admired to her "vivacity" and beauty by others. Now, a widow,
she finds herself "unemployed" and even wishes that her daughter would fall in love with the
wrong man so that she, as Jenny's mother, could have a use in helping
her.
However, in addition we are shown that Alida Slade feels
condescening towards and envious of her life-long friend, Grace Ansley, because of the
relationship that she had with her husband. Thus her character is a strange mix of resentment for
what has been, social superiority and envy.
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