limit; and by that time
my image will have lost its freshness. He will be sorry, but he won't
attempt to follow. He'll say to his friends, `pity Miss Strangeways has
left the place. She was a jolly girl.' But if all had been well, I
might have been his wife--"

There was silence for several minutes. Each girl was thinking deeply of
the future; pondering over the difficulty of mapping out a life which
seemed to have no settled direction, Vanna had many gifts, but no one
outstanding talent. Until this moment she had never dreamt of taking up
any work outside the domestic circle; but it would be impossible to
fritter away life in the care of self alone. What could she do? She
herself had announced her decision of leaving her native town. Where
could she live? After puzzling the problem in a circle for several
minutes, Jean ventured another timid question.

"Have you thought, dear; have you any idea what you will do?"

"I have thought. Yes! I know I must leave Coverley, but that is as far
as I can get. I must wait until I have calmed down and can think it out
quietly. But I should like to be near you, Jean. You are the person I
care for most on earth, and failing a personal romance I must take you
for my lifelong love. You won't want me always. When you are happy you
will be independent of my services; but you can't always be happy.
There must come times when you are ill, or anxious, or miserable, when I
shall have my chance. You will need a woman then. When the babies are
teething; when the boiler bursts on Christmas Eve, and the cook leaves
at an hour's notice; when you want to make jam, or re-cover the
furniture, or to leave everything behind, and go off honeymooning with
your husband, `send for Vanna' must be a household word. I shall be
your `Affliction Female,' always ready to be called in in an emergency.
Fancy _me_ an `Affliction Female.'"

"A Consolation Female!" corrected Jean softly, and Vanna looked at her
with a lightening eye.

"That's better. Thank you, Jean. Well, that will be one object in
life--to help you, when you need help. You will marry, of course. It
is impossible to think that any man could refuse to love you if you
wished it, and the time will come when you _will_ wish. It will be a
tremendous interest to know your home, and your husband, and children.
Dr Greatman told me that I was to compare my life as a spinster with
the life of married women... I'll compare it wit