alk and laughter had gone right on
as though nothing had happened. At table it continued still, and she
felt herself borne along on the tide. She looked at Joe, who was on
Sally's right, and she thought he was doing exceedingly well. And as
for these old friends of his, as she rapidly scanned their faces, they
looked far from formidable. On her left side Sally's husband, a tall
dark creature with nice eyes, was telling her about the men--two or
three writers, an architect and a portrait painter rather well known,
whose pictures she had read about. She had already learned from Sally
what the women did with themselves. They worked, they went to women's
clubs, they dined and did the social side. One of them spoke for
suffrage, another was a sculptress, one sang, one had a baby. They did
not look solemn in the least. Everything went so naturally.

"Well, here I am at last," she thought. She kept throwing quick little
glances about. Was it all so much worth while, she wondered. Yes, they
were very pleasant and nice. But she had expected--well, something
more, a kind of a brilliancy in their eyes and the things they were
saying. For here were Art and Music, Movements, Causes and Ideas, and
goodness only knew what else! Here were the people who really saw
something richer and deeper in life than the sort of existence Amy had
led--great bright vistas leading off from the city as it was today to
some dazzling promised land. She thought of the little history "prof."
They were so cosy about it here! She did not want them to be
"highbrows"--Heaven forbid! But they took it all so easily!

She thought of the struggles she had been through in order to get where
she was tonight, the ardent hopes and the despairs, and all the eager
planning. And just for a moment there came to her some little
realization of those other women still outside, in this city of so many
worlds, each with her particular world, her bright and shining goal, her
shrine, and pushing and scheming to get in. She recalled the fierce
light in Amy's eyes and the tone of her voice: "I may be too late!" Amy
had wanted only money, and people like that. But how hard she had
wanted it! . . . These people took it so pleasantly; they seemed so
snug in their little group. She wondered if she would become like that.
No, she decided, most certainly not! And suddenly she realized that
this was only one more step in the life she was to lead in this town.
These people? For a time p