When Kitty receives a letter from her mother in Port Said, it causes her to reflect on their relationship. What surprising observation does she realize about the shift in her relationship with her mother?

When Kitty receives her mother's letter in Port Said, it causes her to re-examine their relationship. She reflects on how her mother doted upon and adored her as a child; however, now that Kitty is an expectant widow, her mother's letter clearly communicates she does not expect to be saddled with Kitty's modest circumstances. Kitty realizes that she and her mother would be content to be parted for years, which is in sharp contrast to her childhood where a month's separation would have been difficult.