nd go on painting
bad pictures to the end of time; and she would aid and abet him and
paint worse ones herself!"

"Elise has money, then?"

"The money is all hers except my pitiful third that the law allows me,
and I had to go into that a little to keep Ponsonby Huntington in a good
humor. However, Elise cannot get control of her money until she is
twenty-five and I have several years yet. She is quite equal to throwing
me over in spite of all I have done for her." Mrs. Huntington spoke with
a rancor that was really astounding to Molly, whose own mother was so
different that the girl had an idea that all mothers must have some of
Mrs. Brown's qualities.

"Oh, I am sure you are mistaken in judging your daughter thus severely!
She must have inherited from George some other traits along with the
artistic talent."

"That is just it. She inherited from him this very tendency to be hard
on me. Was it kind or right for George to leave all the money to her;
and to me, his devoted and long-suffering wife, nothing more than the
law exacted? My only hope is that she may marry a man rich enough to
make a handsome settlement on me. One who will have money enough not to
regard Elise's fortune at all, except, perhaps, to realize the necessity
of turning it over to me. Now tell me: do you think the Latin Quarter a
likely place for a girl to find such a husband?"

"Oh, I don't know. You did pretty well there, and if you had waited for
me, you might have done even better from a financial standpoint, as I
have been very successful as the world takes it. Perhaps poor little
Elise might have equal luck. Oh, Lizzie, Lizzie, how changed you are!
You have spoken only of money and position and society; never once of
love and humanity. I can't bear to see you this way. When I think of you
as a girl with your soft, sweet manner and no more worldliness than a
kitten, I can hardly bear to contemplate this change in you."

"Oh la, la, Tom, you and I know that a kitten only takes a year to grow
into a horrid cat, and as you so brutally and frankly put it, I have had
about twenty-five years to grow and sharpen my claws. You struck this
note first in our conversation. I was prepared to be as nice as you once
thought me, but I saw how cynical you had grown and I knew there was no
use in putting on; so I have rather enjoyed showing you my true self.
Anyhow, you are grateful to me for throwing you over, now that you see
what I am. Is it not so?"