ng time,
mother! It'll be Sunday, and _therefore_ we are not to talk about
improving the lot of the human race. Ye gods!'

Mrs. Waltham was puzzled for an instant, but the Puritan assurance did
not fail her.

'Yes, but that is only improvement of their bodies, Alfred--food and
clothing. The six days are for that you know.'

'Mother, mother, you will kill me! You are so uncommonly funny! I wonder
your friends haven't long ago found some way of doing without bodies
altogether. Now, I pray you, do not talk nonsense. Surely _that_ is
forbidden on the Sabbath, if only the Jewish one.'

'Mother is quite right, Alfred,' remarked Adela, with quiet
affimativeness, as soon as her voice could be heard. 'Your Socialism is
earthly; we have to think of other things besides bodily comforts.'

'Who said we hadn't?' cried her brother. 'But I take leave to inform you
that you won't get much spiritual excellence out of a man who lives a
harder life than the nigger-slaves. If you women could only put aside
your theories and look a little at obstinate facts! You're all of a
piece. Which of you was it that talked the other day about getting the
vicar to pray for rain? Ho, ho, ho! Just the same kind of thing.'

Alfred's combativeness had grown markedly since his making acquaintance
with Mutimer. He had never excelled in the suaver virtues, and now the
whole of the time he spent at home was devoted to vociferous railing
at capitalists, priests, and women, his mother and sister serving for
illustrations of the vices prevalent in the last-mentioned class. In
talking he always paced the room, hands in pockets, and at times fairly
stammered in his endeavour to hit upon sufficiently trenchant epithets
or comparisons. When reasoning failed with his auditors, he had recourse
to volleys of contemptuous laughter. At times he lost his temper,
muttered words such as 'fools!'--'idiots!' and flung out into the open
air. It looked as if the present evening was to be a stormy one. Adela
noted the presage and allowed herself a protest _in limine_.

'Alfred, I do hope you won't go on in this way whilst Letty is here. You
mayn't think it, but you pain her very much.'

'Pain her! It's her education. She's had none yet, no more than you
have. It's time you both began to learn.'

It being close upon the hour for tea, the young lady of whom there was
question was heard to ring the door-bell. We have already had a passing
glimpse of her, but since then she