has spoken to me all that time. I've no
time to give to Church work, and the seats are free, so there's no way
of getting into touch. I don't suppose any one has ever noticed the
shabby school-mistress in her shabby blue serge."

Suddenly Mary Rhodes thrust back her chair, and rising impetuously began
to storm up and down the room.

"Oh, I'm tired, I'm tired of this second-hand life. Living in other
people's houses, teaching other people's children, obeying other
people's orders. I'm sick of it. I can't stand it a moment longer.
I'd rather take any risk to be out of it. After all, what could be
worse? Any sort of life lived on one's own must be better than this.
Nearly twelve years of it--and if I have twenty more, what's the end?
What is there to look forward to? Slow starvation in a bed-sitting-
room, for perhaps thirty years. I won't do it, I won't! I've had
enough. Now I shall choose for myself!"

Like a whirlwind she dashed out of the room, and Claire put her elbow on
the table and leant her head on her hands, feeling shaken, and
discouraged, and oppressed. For the first time a doubt entered her mind
as to whether she could continue to live with Mary Rhodes. In her
brighter modes there was much that was attractive in her personality,
but to live with a chronic grumbler sapped one's own powers of
resistance. Claire felt that for the sake of her own happiness and
efficiency it would be wiser to make a change, but her heart sank at the
thought of making a fresh start, of perhaps having to live alone with no
one to speak to in the long evenings. The life of a bachelor girl made
little appeal at that moment. Liberty seemed dearly bought at the price
of companionship.

Claire spent the morning writing to her mother and reading over the
series of happy letters which had reached her week after week. Mrs
Judge was in radiant spirits, delighted with the conditions of her new
life, full of praise of her husband and the many friends to whom she had
been introduced. Three-fourths of the letter were taken up with
descriptions of her own gay doings, the remaining fourth with optimistic
remarks on her daughter's life. How delightful to share rooms with
another girl! What a nice break to have every Saturday and Sunday free!
What economical rooms! Claire must feel quite rich. What fun to have
the girls so devoted!

Claire made an expressive grimace as she read that "quite rich." This
last week she had be