At the end of the tale, we are left with a sense of the inadequacy of words to describe a transcendent experience. Laura has just experienced a radically different world from her own world of parties, lilies and black hats. She has seen the corpse of the unfortunate Mr. Scott and has been struck by the peace and serenity of his countenance - something very different from her own experience of life:

Oh, so remote, so peaceful. He was dreaming. Never wake him up again. His head was sunk in the pillow, his eyes were closed; they were blind under the closed eyelids. He was given up to his dream. What did garden-parties and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all those things. He was wonderful, beautiful. While they were laughing and while the band was playing, this marvel had come to the lane. Happy... happy... All is well, said that sleeping face. This is just as it should be. I am content.

It is this sense of the massive difference between her superficial world and the deep serenity of Mr. Scott that Laura tries to express in her final words, as she tries to give voice to the emptiness of their lives and the unattainable transcendent world beyond that Mr. Scott has attained.