She was heading for the piano, and something told me that it was her intention to sing old folk songs, a pastime to which, as I have indicated, she devoted not a little of her leisure. She was particularly given to indulgence in this nuisance when her soul had been undergoing an upheaval and required soothing, as of course it probably did at this juncture.My fears were realized. She sang two in rapid succession, and the thought that this sort of thing would be a permanent feature of our married life chilled me to the core.
In this excerpt, the narrator feels apprehensive as he observes a woman approaching the piano, suspecting she plans to sing traditional folk songs. This activity is something she enjoys during her downtime, especially when she is emotionally unsettled. Her inclination to engage in this pastime suggests a need for comfort, particularly in a moment of turmoil.
However, the narrator's dread comes true when she performs two songs in quick succession. The prospect of this becoming a regular occurrence in their marriage fills him with unease, indicating a stark contrast between his expectations of marital life and the reality he faces, which includes enduring what he perceives as an annoying habit.
