Monica. Sudden necessity for housing a visitor had led to the
proposition that Miss Madden, for her last night, should occupy a
servant's bedroom. Glad to get away, Alice chose the alternative of
leaving the house at once. It had been arranged that she should share
Virginia's room, but to-night this did not seem advisable.

'To-morrow,' said Monica, 'we must talk to her very seriously. I
believe she has been drinking like that night after night. It explains
the look she always has the first thing in the morning. Could you have
imagined anything so disgraceful?'

But Alice had softened towards the erring woman.

'You must remember what her life has been, dear. I'm afraid loneliness
is very often a cause--'

'She needn't have been lonely. She refused to come and live at Herne
Hill, and now of course I understand why. Mrs. Conisbee must have known
about it, and it was her duty to tell me. Mr. Widdowson had found out
somehow, I feel sure.'

She explained the reason of this belief.

'You know what it all points to,' said Miss Madden, drying her sallow,
pimpled cheeks. 'You must do as your husband wishes, dearest. We must
go to Clevedon. There the poor girl will be out of temptation.'

'You and Virgie may go.'

'You too, Monica. My dear sister, it is your duty.'

'Don't use that word to me!' exclaimed the other angrily. 'It is _not_
my duty. It can be no woman's duty to live with a man she hates-or even
to make a pretence of living with him.'

'But, dearest--'

'You mustn't begin this to-night, Alice. I have been ill all day, and
now my head is aching terribly. Go downstairs and eat the supper they
have laid for you.'

'I couldn't touch a morsel,' sobbed Miss Madden. 'Oh, everything is too
dreadful! Life is too hard!'

Monica had returned to bed, and lay there with her face half hidden
against the pillow.

'If you don't want any supper,' she said in a moment, 'please go and
tell them, so that they needn't sit up for you.'

Alice obeyed. When she came up again, her sister was, or pretended to
be, asleep; even the noise made by bringing luggage into the room did
not cause her to move. Having sat in despondency for a while, Miss
Madden opened one of her boxes, and sought in it for the Bible which it
was her custom to make use of every night. She read in the book for
about half an hour, then covered her face with her hands and prayed
silently. This was _her_ refuge from the barrenness and bitterness of
life.