ure--and a
great deal of restraint--in so many different ways.... Don't you think
it's hard ever to get out of one's groove?"

"It's heroic."

She put back her trailing motor-veil, and said: "And for a woman
especially?"

"It would take the strength of all the gods!... I mean, of course--as
women are placed, to-day. Perhaps in some other day--perhaps
to-morrow--"

He broke off suddenly; a change passed over his face.

"And yet," he added, in a voice gentle and full of feeling--"some of
them are doing it to-day."

What his thought might be, she had no idea; but his personal implication
was not to be mistaken. The man from the slums, who had mistakenly put
his faith in her once before in the Cooneys' parlor, conceived that she
was or might be one of these strong he spoke of; little suspecting her
present unconquerable weakness.

Cally was startled into looking at him, a thing she had been rather
avoiding; and looking, she looked instantly away. In Mr. V.V.'s eyes,
that strange trusting look, which had not been frequently observable
there of late, had saluted her like a banner of stars....

"Certainly I was not meant to be one of them," said she, rather faintly.

He must have meant only a general expression of confidence, she was sure
of that; only to be kind and comforting. But to her, grappling with new
hard problems, that strange gaze came like a torch lit in a cave at
night. Much she had wondered how Vivian could possibly hold her
responsible for what her father did, or left undone. And now in a flash
it was all quite clear, and she saw that he had not been holding her
responsible at all. No, this simple and good man, who let the crows
bring his raiment, or not, as they preferred, had only reposed a trust
in her--in Cally Heth. It was as if, that day at the Settlement, he had
said to her, by his eyes: "I know _you_. Once _you_ go to the Works, you
won't rest till you've made things better...."

But instead of this making things better for Cally Heth now, it seemed
to make them worse at once. She became considerably agitated; knew that
he must see her agitation, and did not mind at all. And suddenly she sat
down on the sway-backed sofa between the windows....

"I'm the last woman in the world ever to think of getting out of my
groove," said Cally, her cheek upon her hand.

And then, with no premeditation at all, there came strange words from
her, words clothing with unlessoned ease thoughts that certainly