es; who must never act unless she has a fixed rule to
guide her; who is supposed to understand nothing at all of real life;
for whom human beings are reduced to a strange uniformity, the men in
their evening dress so simple, so nice, so attentive, so easy to
understand, the women--but then such a young person is not supposed to
concern herself with the women. That, I'm sure, is the sort of girl I
appeared to you, Morgan. I am sorry that, so far, I cannot take your
love for me as a compliment. You saw me as a painter might see a
model, and perhaps you enshrined my image as a sort of poetic fancy.
You loved me as an unreal spirit. But I am not what you thought me; I
am a real person. I can think and judge for myself, and I can be
myself. That is why I have had the courage to come here to you, and
had I known earlier where you were I should have forced this interview
on you long ago. And this despite the fact that you are married, that
you love me and that I--love you. I have the courage to face the
occasion, to outrage convention where convention makes no provision
for the needs of the particular occasion. I know that, despite all, we
can be very dear friends. Only trust me a little, Morgan, learn to
know me better, and I am sure you will trust me altogether. Make an
effort to be strong and perhaps I may help you."

And so Morgan poured himself out to her, told her all; and, if at
times he faltered, she bade him go on, she would not blush.

The recital was a long one. Interruptions and discussions were
frequent; they were also making pretence to sup. Neither remembered
the flight of time.

"Of course, I have known the bare facts for a long time," said
Margaret, "but only in a very vague way and in a very puzzling one.
There was so much left to my imagination, and it bothered me so much
to fill up the blanks. And so you are working to pay off her debts. I
know it feels awfully nice to earn money for one's self. Do you know
that I'm quite rich. Guess how much I made last year by my modelling?"

"How much?" he asked.

"Eighty-seven pounds, after paying all my expenses," she exclaimed. "I
wanted to pay for my own frocks, but papa wouldn't let me. And so
I've got it all and I don't know what to do with it; at least I know
what I should like to do with it."

"But surely papa wouldn't disapprove of your doing what you liked with
it?"

"Oh, papa wouldn't disapprove," she said, colouring a little, "but I'm
afraid you woul