Passage
The dust in the archives of the historical society had a distinct, sweet scent, like dried apples. For weeks, Marcus had worked in the shadow of the grand mahogany desk where Dr. Helen Vance—his predecessor and former mentor—had compiled her final, unfinished monograph on the local ironworks. Her notes were legendary for their meticulous margins, dense with cross-references, but Marcus found himself drawn instead to the blank spaces. On the back of a receipt from a local apothecary dated November 1892, Vance had sketched a rough map of the valley, marking a site she called 'The Foundry's Shadow.' She had never mentioned this site in her published papers or her lectures. Yet, Marcus noticed that her diary entries from that same month abruptly ceased their usual complaints about funding and university politics, replaced instead by cryptic logs of soil acidity and water temperature. A week later, she had abruptly packed her trunks and requested an indefinite leave of absence, citing 'exhaustion.' Standing by the window, looking out at the overgrown path leading toward the river, Marcus realized that Vance’s departure was not a retreat, but a pursuit.
Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the relationship between Helen Vance’s discovery of the site she labeled 'The Foundry's Shadow' and her subsequent leave of absence?
- AHer research at the site was initiated only after the university granted her leave to recover from exhaustion.
- BHer physical exhaustion was a direct result of the demanding physical labor required to measure soil and water conditions.
- Her departure was motivated by a desire to investigate the new site rather than a need to recover from professional fatigue.Answer
- DHer growing frustration with university politics forced her to abandon her research at the site.