rrupted the
conversation for a few minutes. Jess poured the tea for her mother,
but took none herself.

"Are you not going to have any tea?" her mother asked.

"No, I do not care for any now, as I had some at Mrs. Merton's."

"So that's where you were, eh? Why didn't you go to the play?"

"I didn't want to. I preferred to spend a quiet hour or two with Mrs.
Merton. She is a woman who does things of some importance instead of
spending her time upon a giddy butterfly-life. She is a regular tonic,
and always inspires me to be up and doing."

"You are silly, Jess." Her mother was visibly annoyed. "Why should
you talk about being up and doing? Haven't you everything that you
desire, with the prospect of a brilliant career before you?"

"What career?"

"As Lady Donaster, of course. To what else should I refer?"

"And you call that a career, mother? Slavery is the right word to use.
I wish to be of some benefit to the world and not to drift through life
like a wretched puppet."

"If this is what you have learned from Mrs. Merton you must not go
there any more. I have always known that she held peculiar views, but
I had no idea that she would try to unsettle the minds of young girls."

"But I am not a young girl, remember, mother. I am nearly twenty now,
and should be able to think somewhat for myself. Mrs. Merton's views
were mine even before I met her. For several years I have been
dissatisfied with a life that held out little or no promise of anything
definite. I want to make my own way in the world."

"But you have not been trained for that, so what can you expect to do?"

"I know it only too well, mother," was the bitter reply. "You brought
me up to shine in society and nothing else. But I have youth on my
side, with an abundance of health, and strength, so I am not afraid."

"This is all nonsense, Jess. You are talking like an irresponsible
child. You know not what it means to earn your own living. And think
what a disgrace it would be to have our only daughter working as a
common girl. Imagine Jess Randall as a clerk in a drygoods store or in
an office. The idea is preposterous! You must give it up at once."

"I can't see anything disgraceful about it, mother. I am sure it is
far better to earn one's own living than to be always depending upon
others. But I shall not disgrace you, so you need not worry about
that."

"What do you intend to do?"

"I have several things in view, a