world.'

'They have been very faithful to each other,' said Jane.

A most unexpected thing then happened, for Kitty kneeled down suddenly
on the hearth-rug, while the firelight shone in her eyes and gave a
fierce red look to them. 'Oh, what is the use of it all?' she cried,
'and what is to be the end of it? Mr. Avory is not going to die--he 's
the strongest man I know, and he can't be much more than forty years
old! How does she think it is all going to end? Don't you see how
absurd the whole thing is? She's seven years older than Toffy, so that
even if she could marry him it would not be the best thing for him.
Oh, I know she has behaved well, and worked hard! I know she has eaten
horrid food and trimmed parasols, and been faithful and good, but will
she ever let him care for any one else?'

'Kitty!' said Jane; she took another step forward, and taking Kitty's
face between her hands she turned it towards her. 'Kitty!'

'Isn't it ridiculous!' said Kitty. She swallowed down a sob in her
throat and made a pretence of laughing while her hands played with her
hair-brush, and her eyes, which endeavoured to blaze defiance, only
succeeded in looking large and full of tears.

'I never knew--I never guessed----' began Jane helplessly.

'You were never meant to know,' said Kitty, and she turned away her
face suddenly from Jane's encircling hands and buried it in the cushion
of the chair. Her voice dropped ominously; she was still kneeling on
the hearth-rug with the paraphernalia of her toilet about her--ribbons
and gold-backed brushes, and a little enamel box for hair-pins. 'No
one was ever meant to know!' she cried, 'and now I shall never be able
to look you in the face again as long as we both do live! It's been
going on so long, Jane, and you 've all been so sorry for Mrs. Avory,
and so sorry for Toffy.'

'Does he know?' asked Jane, in a low voice.

Kitty raised her head and pretended to laugh again. 'I 've not
proposed to him yet,' she said.

'But he cares,' said Jane, with conviction. 'He does care, Kitty!'

'Oh,' said Kitty, bursting into tears, 'isn't it all a frightful
muddle!'

* * * * *

The conclusion, therefore, which may be arrived at on the vexed
question as to which is preferable--the lot of the man who works or the
lot of the woman who weeps, may be summed up in the convenient phrase,
'There is a great deal to be said on both sides.'

It is true that Kitty Sh