utely
immovable! Reasoning has no effect upon her, and then, to
tell the truth, she has reasons of her own. Her desire for
this is very strong, and her affection for Roger is not
strong enough, apparently, to make her sacrifice herself. Do
you think she has any soul, really? I mean, what we
understand by that--something that takes more than two years
of ordinary life to grow. Passionate, yes. Intelligent, yes.
But a real soul? _Je m' en doute._

"Of course I love Roger, Sue," she said to me, "but why
should I not do what I want to just because I love him? I
can love him and sing, too."

Then Miss Jencks advances to the fray, with pleasant
platitudes about giving up what we like for those we love.

"But Roger loves me, too," says _la Margarita_--"why does he
not give up what _he_ likes because he loves me?"

Tableau! _Que faire alors?_

It is really rather complicated, I think, Jerry, though you
will probably not agree with me, when I explain what I mean.
I have done a great deal of thinking in the years since my
marriage--I have been forced to. Things which would never
have occurred to me, never come into my horizon if, for
instance, I had married Roger; things which would never, I
can see, be likely to come into the horizon of the happily
(and prosperously) married, have come to me and I have been
obliged, in my poor way, to philosophise over them.

Have you ever read Ibsen's play, the "Doll's House"? I don't
think it has been acted in America, and probably won't be,
unless, perhaps, in Boston. But get it and read it. It is to
show that a woman is a personality, aside from her family
relations, and must live her life, finally, herself. At
least, so I understand it. It is to be acted in London soon,
and I am going to try to see it--the theatre seems to mean
so much more, this side the water! One really takes it
seriously, somehow, along with the other arts. But then,
there is no duty on art here!

Will you tell me, Jerry, why, if Margarita really is an
artist and has a great gift, she should not use it? It may
not be what would best please her husband (and you know,
Jerry, I would cut off my hand for Roger! But I must say
what I think) but if she sees a career open to her of fame,
money and satisfaction, why