ments of collectivist ideas, this socialism of the
employer.

The whole thing Mrs. Pembrose declared was a step forward in
civilization, it was a step in the organization and discipline of
labour. Of course the unruly and the insubordinate would cry out. But
the benefits were plain enough, space, light, baths, association,
reasonable recreations, opportunities for improvement----

"But freedom?" said Mr. Brumley.

Mrs. Pembrose inclined her head a little on one side, looked at him this
time and smiled the expert smile again. "If you knew as much as I do of
the difficulties of social work," she said, "you wouldn't be very much
in love with freedom."

"But--it's the very substance of the soul!"

"You must permit me to differ," said Mrs. Pembrose, and for weeks
afterwards Mr. Brumley was still seeking a proper polite retort to that
difficult counterstroke. It was such a featureless reply. It was like
having your nose punched suddenly by a man without a face.

They descended to a more particular treatment of the problems ahead.
Mrs. Pembrose quoted certain precedents from the Girls' Club Union.

"The people Lady Harman contemplates--entertaining," said Mr. Brumley,
"are of a slightly more self-respecting type than those young women."

"It's largely veneer," said Mrs. Pembrose....

"Detestable little wretch," said Mr. Brumley when at last she had
departed. He was very uncomfortable. "She's just the quintessence of all
one fears and dreads about these new developments, she's perfect--in
that way--self-confident, arrogant, instinctively aggressive, with a
tremendous class contempt. There's a multitude of such people about who
hate the employed classes, who _want_ to see them broken in and
subjugated. I suppose that kind of thing is in humanity. Every boy's
school has louts of that kind, who love to torment fags for their own
good, who spring upon a chance smut on the face of a little boy to scrub
him painfully, who have a kind of lust to dominate under the pretence of
improving. I remember----But never mind that now. Keep that woman out of
things or your hostels work for the devil."

"Yes," said Lady Harman. "Certainly she shall not----. No."

But there she reckoned without her husband.

"I've settled it," he said to her at dinner two nights later.

"What?"

"Mrs. Pembrose."

"You've not made her----?"

"Yes, I have. And I think we're very lucky to get her."

"But--Isaac! I don't want her!"

"You should