causes others to suffer. Of course I am
no judge of that.

"She is a little gambler, no doubt, as you said--but a gallant one.
She is playing against rather desperate odds--and she cannot be blamed
if she plays foolishly. As I understand it, I believe that her object
is to give her girls, by hook or crook, advantages that lie beyond her
means, the goal being that one of them or both will marry--well. If
she wins--well and good----"

"Well and good--fiddlesticks! Nonsense! Good Heavens!" shouted Mr.
Prescott. "Whatever are you driving at, Elizabeth? I can't make head
or tail of all this talking. You come to me, telling me that my nieces
are in want of some kind or other, that that mother of theirs is living
beyond her means in her attempt to put them on a footing with the
daughters of millionaires, so that they can marry some mother's son
whom they fancy can stand their extravagance, and as far as I can make
out, you want me to defray their expenses, so that the business of
ruining some other man's boy as mine was ruined will be less difficult
for them. Have you gone clean daft?"

"I see I haven't made myself perfectly clear," said Miss Bancroft,
patiently. "I should have told you that I saw both of your nieces last
night. It was because of the older one that I came here to-day--Nancy.
She looks enough like George to make your heart ache. And she is
facing poor George's problem. She is a very remarkable young girl--I
don't cotton to the average young miss very readily, as you know, but
there was something in that bright, eager young face that went to my
heart. She was at the Porterbridges'. They came in an old hack that
they were ashamed of. Do you like to think of George's daughters doing
that?

"She is a girl who deserves a fair chance, and she's not getting it.
But she isn't the sort that whimpers. She struck me as being full of a
fine courage--and an independence of spirit that made one member of the
family the very troublesome person he is. She is a girl who has her
teeth set against circumstance, and her own cool, sober views of life.
But she is very young--too young to have to cope with the difficulties
that face her, and far too proud to accept any help with strings tied
to it. Remember that. And in my opinion, it is a sin and a shame that
you, who could give her the help she needs, and who could get a great
deal of happiness in return--you won't even see her. I'm not asking
anything bu