an't stop you, of course. It's only a
question of time, in any case. You'll soon find out for yourself that
it's no use."

"I think," she answered, in her small, unemotional voice, "that it's
exceedingly probable that I shall."

She lay inertly in the deep chair, her eyes shut, her hands opened, palms
downwards, as if they had failed to hold something.

"What then, Jim? If I can't be a doctor what can I be? Besides Rodney's
wife, I mean? I don't say besides the children's mother, because that's
stopped being a job. They're charming to me, the darlings, but they don't
need me any more; they go their own way."

Jim had noticed that.

"Well, after all, you do a certain amount of political work--public
speaking, meetings, and so on. Isn't that enough?"

"That's all second-hand. I shouldn't do it but for Rodney. I'm not
public-spirited enough. If Rodney dies before I do, I shan't go on with
that.... Shall I just be a silly, self-engrossed, moping old woman, no
use to anyone and a plague to myself?"

The eyes of both of them strayed out to the garden.

"Who's the silly moping old woman?" asked Mrs. Hilary's voice in the
doorway. And there she stood, leaning a little forward, a strained smile
on her face.

"Me, mother, when I shall be old," Neville quickly answered her, smiling
in return. "Come in, dear. Jim's telling me how I shall never be a
doctor. He gave me a _viva voce_ exam., and I came a mucker over it."

Her voice had an edge of bitterness; she hadn't liked coming a mucker,
nor yet being told she couldn't get through exams. She had plenty of
vanity; so far everyone and everything had combined to spoil her. She
was determined, in the face of growing doubt, to prove Jim wrong yet.

"Well," Mrs. Hilary said, sitting down on the edge of a chair, not
settling herself, but looking poised to go, so as not to seem to intrude
on their conversation, "well, I don't see why you want to be a doctor,
dear. Everyone knows women doctors aren't much good. _I_ wouldn't trust
one."

"Very stupid of you, mother," Jim said, trying to pretend he wasn't
irritated by being interrupted. "They're every bit as good as men."

"Fancy being operated on by a woman surgeon. I certainly shouldn't risk
it."

"_You_ wouldn't risk it ... _you_ wouldn't trust them. You're so
desperately personal, mother. You think that contributes to a discussion.
All it does contribute to is your hearers' knowledge of your limitations.
It's uneducated,