of men."

"It will fall into the hands of a pack of men, whatever you do with
it."

"And yet if you had it in charge----"

"Some man would get hold of it, Aunt Marion."

"Which is what I'm debating. I'm not so very sure----"

"That I shall marry in the end?"

"Well, you're not married yet ... and if you were to change your
mind ... the world has such a need of consecrated women with men
so unscrupulous and irresponsible ... we must break their power
some day ... and now that we've got the opportunity ... all I want
you to understand is that if you shouldn't marry there'd be a
great career in store for you...."

Chapter XIX

By the end of twenty-four hours the possibility of this great career
quickened Barbara's zeal for taking a hand in Letty's education. Not
only did that impulse of furious jealousy, by which she meant at first
to leave it wholly to Rash, begin to seem dangerous, but there was a
world to consider and throw off the scent. Now that Augusta Chancellor
knew that the girl was beneath Rash's roof all their acquaintances
would sooner or later be in possession of the fact. It was Barbara's
part, therefore, to play the game in such a way that a bit of
quixotism would be the most foolish thing of which Rash would be
suspected.

That she would be playing a game she knew in advance. She must hide
her suspicions; she must control her sufferings. She must pretend to
have confidence in Rash, when at heart she cried against him as an
infant and a fool. Never was woman in such a ridiculous situation as
that into which she had been thrust; never was heart so wild to ease
itself by invective and denunciation; and never was the padlock fixed
so firmly on the lips. Hour by hour the man she loved was being weaned
and won away from her; and she must stand by with grimacing smiles,
instead of throwing up her arms in dramatic gestures and calling on
her gods to smite and smash and annihilate.

Since, however, she had a game to play, a game she would play, though
she did it quivering with protest and repulsion.

"Do you mind if I take the car this afternoon, Aunt Marion, since
you're not going to use it."

"Take it of course; but where are you going?"

"I thought I would ask that protegee of Rash Allerton's, of whom we
were speaking yesterday, to come for a drive with me. But if you'd
rather I didn't----"

"I've nothing to do with it. It's entirely for you to say. The car is
yours, of course."

Th