"I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story"

In this quote, Edith Wharton is explaining how she came to know a story from various sources. She explains that she collected the info bit by bit from different individuals, but each time she heard it, the story was various. This is a common event in situations where numerous people are sharing their perspectives or versions of events. Each person may have their own predispositions, analyses, or memories that shape their retelling of the story. Wharton's usage of the phrase "as generally takes place in such cases" suggests that this is a natural and expected outcome when collecting info from numerous sources.