n Mrs. Bradford's
thoughts went evenly inward again. "I have arranged to keep my own
chair. The proprietress of the boarding-house at Scarborough has been
very obliging about having it placed in a corner out of the draught.
They like a permanent boarder who is well recommended, and I shall be
quite comfortable so long as I have my own chair in a nice corner, and
my book and my knitting. You see, the sale of the house and furniture
will enable me to take a good room on the first floor. I have no doubt
I shall be all right there"--she paused--"as right as I can be now,
that is to say," she added, her lip trembling.

During the silence which followed, the three girls passed once
more--heads erect and neatly-shod feet stepping lightly on the hard
path. Mrs. Bradford looked after them with a sort of dull aversion.
"Two of those girls' mothers were in service. Why aren't they?"

"I suppose they prefer other employment," said Laura.

"They'd be far better off in domestic service. Now they are only doing
what men can do. But men can't do what the girls' mothers used to do,"
said Mrs. Bradford. "I can't see that they are doing any good in the
world at all."

"Can't you?" Laura hesitated a moment, piecing together her own
thoughts. "Well, do you know, Mrs. Bradford--I didn't think of it
before--but I really do believe girls like those are achieving
something rather wonderful, after all. I believe they are reaching up
to a stage of manners and speech which will soon cause them to merge
with the girls of our own class, so that you can't feel any difference.
Then we shall get the real equality which people are always talking
about. They're doing it the right way, too, levelling up, not
levelling down."

"Oh! Is that how you look at Caroline?" said Mrs. Bradford.

Laura waited for a moment. "Yes," she said then, "Caroline is one of
those I mean."

Mrs. Bradford relapsed into silence again, and they sat so for a long
time. Then Laura rose abruptly: "Oh, here are the Grahams! Do let us
move on."

Mrs. Bradford also rose, impelled by the urgency of her companion's
tone, but wondering in her dull way what it was that made Laura turn so
red, and seem so anxious to get away all of a sudden. Surely Laura
could not have quarrelled with the Grahams? Then being very
curious--like the majority of stupid people--she sat obstinately down
again. "I must have a word or two with Mr. and Mrs. Graham," she said.
"They ha