ver her
sister, the spirit of tired acquiescence, the insidious creeping in of a
slightly cynical view of things, in place of the brave, believing,
imaginative outlook that she had once held towards life. This cynicism
was more or less superficial however, as Algitha found when they had a
long and intimate conversation, one evening in Hadria's room, by her
fire; but it was painful to Algitha to hear the hopeless tones of her
sister's voice, now that she was speaking simply and sincerely, without
bitterness, but without what is usually called resignation.

"No; I don't think it is all for the best," said Hadria. "I think, as
far as my influence goes, it is all for the worst. What fatal argument
my life will give to those who are seeking reasons to hold our sex in
the old bondage! My struggles, my failure, will add to the staggering
weight that we all stumble under. I have hindered more--that is the
bitter thing--by having tried and failed, than if I had never tried at
all. Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Gordon herself, has given less arguments to the
oppressors than I."

"But why? But how?" cried Algitha incredulously.

"Because no one can point to _them_, as they will to me, and say, 'See,
what a ghastly failure! See how feeble after all, are these pretentious
women of the new order, who begin by denying the sufficiency of the life
assigned them, by common consent, and end by failing in that and in the
other which they aspire to. What has become of all the talent and all
the theories and resolves?' And so the next girl who dares to have
ambitions, and dares to scorn the _role_ of adventuress that society
allots to her, will have the harder fate because of my attempt. Now
nothing in the whole world," cried Hadria, her voice losing the even
tones in which she had been speaking, "nothing in the whole world will
ever persuade me that _that_ is all for the best!"

"I never said it was, but when a thing has to be, why not make the best
of it?"

"And so persuade people that all is well, when all is not well! That's
exactly what women always do and always have done, and plume themselves
upon it. And so this ridiculous farce is kept up, because these wretched
women go smiling about the world, hugging their stupid resignation to
their hearts, and pampering up their sickly virtue, at the expense of
their sex. Hang their virtue!"

Algitha laughed.

"It _is_ somewhat self-regarding certainly, in spite of the incessant
renunciation and s