lted views, for they were all younger than Miss Eade.

Just before one o'clock, when silence had reigned for a quarter of an
hour, there entered with much bustle the last occupant of the bedroom.
She was a young woman with a morally unenviable reputation, though some
of her colleagues certainly envied her. Money came to her with
remarkable readiness whenever she had need of it. As usual, she began
to talk very loud, at first with innocent vulgarity; exciting a little
laughter, she became anecdotic and very scandalous. It took her a long
time to disrobe, and when the candle was out, she still had her richest
story to relate--of point so Rabelaisian that one or two voices made
themselves heard in serious protest. The gifted anecdotist replied with
a long laugh, then cried, 'Good-night, young ladies!' and sank
peacefully to slumber.

As for Monica, she saw the white dawn peep at the window, and closed
her tear-stained eyes only when the life of a new week had begun
noisily in Walworth Road.

CHAPTER VI

A CAMP OF THE RESERVE

In consequence of letters exchanged during the week, next Sunday
brought the three Miss Maddens to Queen's Road to lunch with Miss
Barfoot. Alice had recovered from her cold, but was still ailing, and
took rather a gloomy view of the situation she had lately reviewed with
such courage. Virginia maintained her enthusiastic faith in Miss Nunn,
and was prepared to reverence Miss Barfoot with hardly less fervour.
Both of them found it difficult to understand their young sister, who,
in her letters, had betrayed distaste for the change of career proposed
to her. They were received with the utmost kindness, and all greatly
enjoyed their afternoon, for not even Monica's prejudice against a
house, which in her own mind she had stigmatized as 'an old-maid
factory,' could resist the charm of the hostess.

Though Miss Barfoot had something less than a woman's average stature,
the note of her presence was personal dignity. She was handsome, and
her carriage occasionally betrayed a consciousness of the fact.
According to circumstances, she bore herself as the lady of
aristocratic tastes, as a genial woman of the world, or as a fervid
prophetess of female emancipation, and each character was supported
with a spontaneity, a good-natured confidence, which inspired liking
and respect. A brilliant complexion and eyes that sparkled with
habitual cheerfulness gave her the benefit of doubt when her age was