exile.

Since leaving the hotel she had exchanged but few words with anyone
beyond her landlady, the little slavey and the people at the various
agencies. Once, it chanced that for several days in succession she had
lunched at the same table in a dingy little restaurant with a fresh,
pleasant-looking young girl, who had said 'Good morning' in such a
friendly manner on their second encounter that Nora felt encouraged to
begin conversation.

Her new acquaintance had the gift of a sympathetic manner and before
Nora realized it she found herself relating the story of her failures
and disappointments. Miss Hodson--so Nora discovered she was called from
the very business-like card she had handed her at the beginning of the
repast, with an air which for the moment relapsed from the sympathetic
to the professional--had suggested when they had finished their lunch
that, as she still had a quarter of an hour to spare, they might go and
finish their chat in one of the little green oases abutting on the
Embankment. Seated on one of the benches she proceeded to advise her
companion to take up stenography and typewriting while she was still in
funds.

"There are plenty of chances for a girl who knows her business and
you're your own mistress and not at the beck and call of any old cat,
who thinks she has bought you outright just because she's paying you
starvation wages," she said with a finely independent air. Then in a
thoroughly business-like way she went on to give the address of the
school at which she had studied herself and had offered to take Nora
there any evening the coming week.

In the end, to Nora's great pleasure, she had suggested joining forces
for an outing on the coming Sunday. With a gesture that seemed to refer
one to her card, she had explained that after typing all week in a
stuffy office she always tried to have a Sunday out of doors to get her
mind off her work. It was arranged that they should go somewhere
together, leaving their destination to be decided when they met. They
were to meet in front of the National Gallery at a quarter before ten.
But, although poor Nora waited for over an hour, her friend did not
turn up, and she had returned sadly to her dreary room. Neither of the
girls had thought to exchange addresses. Beyond her name and occupation
Miss Hodson's card vouchsafed nothing.

Nor had Nora ever seen her again, although she had returned several
times to the restaurant where they had met. Sh