ar Victoria,' interposed Mrs Holt, 'nobody says it's your fault.
We all think . . .'

'Indeed? it's not my fault, but you turn me out.'

Mrs Holt dropped her hands helplessly.

'I see it all now,' continued Victoria. 'You don't blame me, but you're
afraid to have me here. So long as I was a servant all was well. Now I'm
a woman and you're afraid of me.' She walked up and down nervously. 'Now
understand, I've never encouraged your son. If he had asked me to marry
him I wouldn't have done it.' A look of pain passed over Jack's face but
aroused no pity in Victoria. She felt frozen.

'Oh! but there was no question of that,' cried Mrs Holt, plaintively.

'No doubt,' said Victoria ruthlessly. 'You couldn't think of it. Nobody
could think of an officer's widow marrying into the Rawsley Works. From
more than one point of view it would be impossible. Very good. I'll
leave in the course of the morning. As for the cheque, I'll take it. As
you say, Mrs Holt, things are hard. I've learned that and I'm still
learning.'

Victoria took up the blue slip. The flush on her face subsided somewhat.
She picked up her handkerchief, a letter from Molly and a small
anthology lying on the dumb waiter. She made for the door, avoiding
Jack's eyes. She felt through her downcast lids the misery of his looks.
A softer feeling went through her, and she regretted her outburst. As
she placed her hand on the handle she turned round and faced Mrs Holt, a
gentler look in her eyes.

'I'm sorry I was hasty,' she stammered. 'I was taken by surprise. It was
. . . vulgar.'

The door closed softly behind her.

CHAPTER X

VICTORIA went up to her room and locked the door behind her. She sat
down on her small basket trunk and stared out of the dormer window. She
was still all of a tingle; her hands, grasping the rough edges of the
trunk, trembled a little. Yet she felt, amid all her perturbation, the
strange gladness that overcomes one who has had a shock; the contest was
still upon her.

'Yes,' she said aloud, 'I'm free. I'm out of it.' She hated the dullness
and ugliness which the Holts had brought with them from the Midlands.
The feeling came over her almost like a spasm. Through the dormer window
she could see the white frontage of the house opposite. It was repellent
like Mrs Holt's personal devil.

The feeling of exultation suddenly subsided in Victoria's breast. She
realised all of a sudden that she was once more adrift, that she must