sense of involvement with things
that frightened and repelled, with things of which I had hitherto
been irresponsibly ignorant, was bewildering me and I wanted to be
alone. I knew I was a coward, but there was no special need of her
knowing it.

I had been honest in thinking I wanted to know all sorts of people,
to see myself, and women like me, from the viewpoint of those denied
my opportunities, but it had not occurred to me as a possibility of
Scarborough Square that I should come in contact with any of the
women of Lillie Pierce's world. People like that had hardly seemed
the human beings other people were. And now--

"Tell Mr. Crimm whatever you think best." My back was to Mrs. Mundy.
"The girl is in trouble. You must see her. Bring her here if you
cannot go to her, and try and learn her side of the story. It's an
old one, perhaps, but it isn't fair that--"

"She should be shoved into hell and the lid shut down to keep her in,
and the man let alone to go where he pleases. It isn't fair, but
it's the world's way, and always will be lessen women learn some
things they ought to know. They wouldn't stand for some of the
things that go on if they understood them, but they don't understand.
They've been tongue-tied and hand-tied so long, they haven't taken in
yet they've got to do their own untying."

"It's a pretty lonely job--and a pretty hard one." I turned from the
window. Kitty's automobile had stopped in front of the house. I was
to go in it to call on Mrs. and Miss Swink. Kitty had insisted that
I use it.

I dressed quickly, putting on my best garments, but as I got into the
car something of the old protest at having to do what I did not want
to do, to go where I did not want to go, came over me, and I was
conscious of childish irritability. I did not care to know the
Swinks. Eternity wouldn't be long enough, and certainly time wasn't
to waste on people like that, and yet because Selwyn had asked me to
call I was doing it. All men are alike. When they don't know how to
do a thing that's got to be done, they tell a woman to do it. It was
not my business to tell this Swink person and her daughter that they
should be careful concerning matrimonial alliances. I would agree
with them that such intimation on my part was presumptuous and I had
no intention of making it. What I was going to do I did not know,
but it was necessary to see them, talk with them before any
suggestions could be made