st tangible trouble in his mind was
the necessity of breaking the matter to her.

A long stretch up hill tired them long before Stoney Cross was reached,
and they dismounted and sat under the shade of a little oak tree. Near
the crest the road looped on itself, so that, looking back, it sloped
below them up to the right and then came towards them. About them grew
a rich heather with stunted oaks on the edge of a deep ditch along the
roadside, and this road was sandy; below the steepness of the hill,
however, it was grey and barred with shadows, for there the trees
clustered thick and tall. Mr. Hoopdriver fumbled clumsily with his
cigarettes.

"There's a thing I got to tell you," he said, trying to be perfectly
calm.

"Yes?" she said.

"I'd like to jest discuss your plans a bit, y'know."

"I'm very unsettled," said Jessie. "You are thinking of writing Books?"

"Or doing journalism, or teaching, or something like that."

"And keeping yourself independent of your stepmother?"

"Yes."

"How long'd it take now, to get anything of that sort to do?"

"I don't know at all. I believe there are a great many women journalists
and sanitary inspectors, and black-and-white artists. But I suppose it
takes time. Women, you know, edit most papers nowadays, George Egerton
says. I ought, I suppose, to communicate with a literary agent."

"Of course," said Hoopdriver, "it's very suitable work. Not being heavy
like the drapery."

"There's heavy brain labour, you must remember."

"That wouldn't hurt YOU," said Mr. Hoopdriver, turning a compliment.

"It's like this," he said, ending a pause. "It's a juiced nuisance
alluding to these matters, but--we got very little more money."

He perceived that Jessie started, though he did not look at her. "I was
counting, of course, on your friend's writing and your being able to
take some action to-day." 'Take some action' was a phrase he had learnt
at his last 'swop.'

"Money," said Jessie. "I didn't think of money."

"Hullo! Here's a tandem bicycle," said Mr. Hoopdriver, abruptly, and
pointing with his cigarette.

She looked, and saw two little figures emerging from among the trees at
the foot of the slope. The riders were bowed sternly over their work and
made a gallant but unsuccessful attempt to take the rise. The machine
was evidently too highly geared for hill climbing, and presently the
rearmost rider rose on his saddle and hopped off, leaving his companion
to any fate he f