, if you repudiate all moral claim----" began Henriette,
weakly.

"I will not insult your intelligence by considering that remark."

"Are you determined to harden yourself against every appeal?" Hadria
looked at her sister-in-law, in silence.

"Why don't you answer me, Hadria?"

"Because I have just been endeavouring, evidently in vain, to explain in
what light I regard appeals on this point."

"Then Hubert and the children are to be punished for what you are
pleased to call his fraud--the fraud of a man in love with you, anxious
to please you, to agree with you, and believing you too good and noble
to allow his life to be spoilt by this girl's craze for freedom. It is
inconceivable!"

"I fear that Hubert must be prepared to endure the consequences of his
actions, like the rest of us. It is the custom, I know, for the sex that
men call weaker, to saddle themselves with the consequences of men's
deeds, but I think we should have a saner, and a juster world if the
custom were discontinued."

"You have missed one of the noblest lessons of life, Hadria," cried Miss
Temperley, rising to leave. "You do not understand the meaning of
self-sacrifice."

"A principle that, in woman, has been desecrated by misuse," said
Hadria. "There is no power, no quality, no gift or virtue, physical or
moral, that we have _not_ been trained to misuse. Self-sacrifice stands
high on the list."

Miss Temperley shrugged her shoulders, sadly and hopelessly.

"You have fortified yourself on every side. My words only prompt you to
throw up another earthwork at the point attacked. I do harm instead of
good. I will leave you to think the matter over alone." Miss Temperley
moved towards the door.

"Ah, you are clever, Henriette! You know well that I am far better
acquainted with the weak points of my own fortifications than you can
be, who did not build them, and that when I have done with the defence
against you, I shall commence the attack myself. You have all the
advantages on your side. Mine is a forlorn hope:--a handful of Greeks at
Thermopylae against all the host of the Great King. We are foredoomed;
the little band must fall, but some day, Henriette, when you and I shall
be no more troubled with these turbulent questions--some day, these
great blundering hosts of barbarians will be driven back, and the Greek
will conquer. Then the realm of liberty will grow wide!"

"I begin to hate the very name!" exclaimed Henriette.

Hadria's e