The Odd Women

ere strongly recommended to make the utmost possible use of that weekly vacation. Herein, no doubt, appeared a laudable regard for their health. Young people, especially young women, who are

to return until bedtime. By way of well-meaning constraint, it was directed that only the very scantiest m

tever to their young friends taking a stroll after closing-time each evening. Nay, so generous and confiding were they, that to each young person they allowed

aste that she wished to be asleep when the talkers came up to bed. But on Sunday she gladly followed the counsel of her employers. If the weather were bad, the little room a

ing three feet by one and a half; but the afternoon and evening she must have to herself. The afternoon, because a few hours of her sisters' talk invariably depressed her; and the evening, because she had an appointment to keep

ack eyebrows and darkly lustrous eyes, gave her at present a more spiritual cast than her character justified; but a thoughtful firmness was native to her lips, and no possibility of smirk or simper lurked in

of business a moment after her, and had followed at a short distance timidly. A young man of unhealthy countenance, with a red pimple on the side of h

s Ma

urbation in his face, to o

it, Mr. B

ng, but the young man smiled up

ul morning! Are

in an offensive degree; his manne

ance.' Monica w

a little way with you?' he

omnibus at the e

onger smiled, but neither did she look

. Bullivant?' she asked at length,

ly don'

up the river.' And she added diffide

he repli

d to go-if she coul

rself,' said Mr. Bullivan

he has to go alone. As you have no particular en

as incomplete, b

to let me accompany her,'

ou could. She

rightened at her boldn

good-bye. Ther

n that direction. He saw there

?' burst from his lips. 'I positively d

ying forward. Bullivant followed, reckless of co

marking a look of serious irritation on his compani

I have begge

seem. But, Miss Madden, may I not

-but you are not c

d-I will b

ven't you broken the unders

passenger, a man, wh

not to worry you. Think of my position. You have told me that there is no one else who-wh

let me ask you

question,

possible for you

ant, dreadfully discomposed, d

answered in a thick voice. 'I have nothing b

forcing herself to be cruel, because it seemed

re at the counter a few years ago. I may become a walker, and get at least three pounds a week. If I were

wait on and on for one of

ertain dolorous dignity; but there his voice broke. He saw too p

d you haven't to look far. But where there has never been the slightest encouragement, you are really wrong to act in this way. A long engagement, where e

lly woebegone, and sat for some minutes without speaking. Th

ing, Miss Madden,' he

d at him with embarrassme

led to herself. Indeed, her head was better for the fresh air and the mov

door to her, and embraced and k

day before yesterday; a dreadful cold and one of her very wors

tacle-was proppe

voice barely audible. 'You mustn't risk g

Monica, dear, as Alice can hardly use her voice, I will speak for both of us, and wish you many, many happy retu

thinly-tressed head. 'It's no use saying you oughtn't to have spent money on me; you will a

l but delicate currant cake. Monica must eat a mouthful of this; she always had such a

ning yourselves,

smiled with such a strange air th

od news. You have found somethin

e of cake like a good child, and then

about with the recovered step of girlhood, held

te ready to listen. 'We had a letter the other morning which did puzzle

d not greatl

sight of her, hadn't

of her again. But nothing more fortunate co

d all she had learnt of Miss Nunn's car

are to call upon her as soon as possible. This very after noon you had better go. She will relieve you from all your troubles darling. He

it take?' asked t

ays,' pursued Virginia, with quite unintentional exaggeration, 'in which we could make better use of our invested money. She is full of practical expedients.

what the projects for impr

a confident smile. 'Let us first of all put you in

and lost herself in thought. Alice gave signs of an inclination to doze; she had had a sleepless night, in spite of s

red, when Virginia had pointed to the invalid's closed eves. 'I'm

ainly think it would be better for you to have fresh air. Wouldn'

ning rather grievous. During the months that she was alone in London she had fallen into neglect of public worship; not from any conscious emancipation, but because her companions at th

But before she had gone many yards conscience overcame her. Was she not getting to be a very lax-minded girl? And it was shameful to impose upon the two after their l

ached her understanding. Sitting, standing, or on her knees, she wore the same preoccupied look, with ever and

nged to go with Miss Eade on a steamboat up the river. They were to meet at the Battersea Park landing-stage at

ne of the benches. Many boats were going by, a majority of them containing only two persons-a young man who pulled, and a girl who held the strings of the tiller. Some of these couples Monica di

Poor Mr. Bullivant would gladly have ta

er, sadder, perpetually struggling to supplement that dividend from the precious capital-and merely that they might ke

r in the street and tried to make her acquaintance. Some of the girls with whom she lived regarded her enviou

lavery of Walworth Road threatened her with premature decay. Her sisters counselled wisely. Coming to London was a mistake. Sh

took a seat by her-on the same bench, that is to say. Glancing aside, she saw that

following the movement of a boat, her face turned unconsciously towards the silent companion; again he was looking at her, and he spoke. The gravity of h

ent, but seemed that of an educated man. And certainly his clothes were such as a gentleman wears. He had thin, hairy hands, unmarked by

an instant. After the introductory phrases, he mentioned that he had had a long drive, alone; his horse was baiting in preparation for the journey back to

tell him that she was in a house of business, that she had relati

rry if I never

f an hour ago she would not have thought it possible for any remark of this man's seriously to occupy

t me very much, and that I am afraid to trust only to chance for another meeting? If you were a man'

g-card on the bench within Monica's reach. Murmuring her 'than

tone. 'May I not hope to see you some day, when you are walking? All days and time

ly on a

er. She was ashamed and confused. Other girls were constantly doing this kind of thing-other girls in business; but it seemed to put her on the level of a servant. And why had she consented? The man could never b

mpelled her. She had not told him her name, nor the house

drove about the country for his pleasure. A man of means

moved away from her. Fearful lest he should turn round, her eyes glan

* * *

rom reverie so complete that she knew not a syllable of the sermon. After a

solved to make a feast of Monica's birthday. There was a tiny piece of salmon, a dainty cutlet, and a cold blackcurrant tart. Virginia, at hom

d to keep her promise to Mr. Edmund Widdowson. She was curious to see him again, and receive a new impression of his personality. If he behaved as inoffensively as at Richmond, acquaintance with him might be continue

us proposal to offer. Virginia's report and ecstatic forecasts were, she knew, not completely trustworthy; though more t

hing luxurious; yet to Monica it appeared richly furnished. A sense of strangeness amid such surroundings had more to do with her constrained si

one thing, you look like a fever patient just recovering. What can

k is ver

do you stay at su

tting ex

d in the n

lau

is better to-

much, I'm so

he "experience" you are getting? For ins

f the gravest interest waited for discussion. With a face that expressed

t dinner and tea one is very likely to be called into the shop b

No sitting down behind

pital with varicose veins, and two or three others have the same thing in a less troublesome form. Sometimes,

t Saturd

night-going on to one o'clock in the morning. A girl by me was twice carried out

mpelled

ek she would lose her place. She lost it after all. They told her she was too weak. After Christmas she was lucky enough to get a place as a lady's-m

! Haven't you an

but only for about three months

A pity the establishme

f you knew how terribly hard it is for

unger in the streets, instead of creeping to their garrets and the hospitals. I should lik

d at her wi

, that people would

h other that a few of the superfluous females had be

ith salary

? That takes one's breath away

al are daughters of small farmers and those are dreadfully ignoran

d them very pl

are nice q

p sigh, and move

ou've had about enough o

country business: i

't care for

aid of having me trained for a school; you remember that one of our sisters who went t

ded her, sm

inclination t

ould like to be better educated, but I don't think I could study s

er told you how I get my living. There's a good deal of employment for

N

ewriting. The fingers have to be light and supple and qui

room by the library. Here were two Remingto

ne or two people who have reached almost twice that speed. It takes a good

ent. Her eyes wandered about the room. The other

any impulse t

e for six months with

eans impossible

ible,' Monica repl

llow Monica to see it. Her lips moved in a way that perhaps signified disdain for

the drawing-room

siastic, but feared rather than admired them. To put herself in Miss Nunn's hands might possibly result in a worse form of bondage than she suff

ined these thoughts, Rhoda assumed

xactly. It doesn't matter, you see. Thirty-one or fifty-one is much the same for a woman who has made up her min

o ask what the object was f

ied the other, smiling. 'T

d? I think I

yo

u like to see the

aughed

t almost wit

-I didn't

eddened

ou have done. At your age,

ted-'don't you approve

that there are half a million more women

a mi

again excited Rh

turally-being one of them myself-take another view. I look upon them as a great reserve. When one woman vanishes in matrimony, the reserv

re not idle,' protes

m. Some cook an

days down in Somerset, of rambles about Cheddar Cliffs, or at Glastonbury, or on the Quantocks

clear to her that the girl would gladly get away. 'I am only her subor

n as possible on any invitation that was sent her. She