A price is always exacted for what fate bestows—adapted from Zweig’s Mary Queen of Scots.

“I’m a nobody, with no time to notice the brightness of the sun.

“My parents couldn’t help me, and I wasn’t highly educated. I had no choice but to make it on my own in the city.

“I’d applied to many jobs, but no one ever hired me. Maybe it’s because I’m not good at expressing myself, and I’m not the best communicator. I guess I just haven’t shown enough ability.

“Once, I’d eaten two loaves of bread over a three-day period. Hunger kept me up at night. At least I paid a month’s rent in advance, so I didn’t have to face the cold winter wind outside.

“Finally, I found a job at the hospital’s morgue, keeping vigil over the dead.