I don't mean only for Letty's holidays; I mean for good."

"For good?" Susie opened her mouth and stared in much the same blank
consternation that Dellwig had shown on hearing that she did not like
eating pig.

"Don't be angry with me," said Anna, coming over to the sofa and sitting
on the floor by Susie's side; and she caught hold of her hand and began
to talk fast and eagerly. "I always intended spending this money in
helping poor people, but didn't quite know in what way--now I see my way
clearly, and I must, _must_ go it. Don't you remember in the catechism
there's the duty towards God and the duty towards one's neighbour----"

"Oh, if you're going to talk religion----" said Susie, pulling away her
hand in great disgust.

"No, no, do listen," said Anna, catching it again and stroking it while
she talked, to Susie's intense irritation, who hated being stroked.

"If you are going into the catechism," she said, "Hilton had better come
in again. It might do her good."

"No, no--I only wanted to say that there's another duty not in the
catechism, greater than the duty towards one's neighbour----"

"My dear Anna, it isn't likely that you can improve on the catechism.
And fancy wanting to, at breakfast time. Don't stroke my hand--it gives
me the fidgets."

"But I want to explain things--do listen. The duty the catechism leaves
out is the duty towards oneself. You can't get away from your duties,
you know, Susie----" And she knit her brows in her effort to follow out
her thought.

"My goodness, as though I ever tried! If ever a poor woman did her duty,
I'm that woman."

"--and I believe that if I do those two duties, towards my neighbour and
myself, I shall be doing my duty towards God."

Susie gave her body an impatient twist. She thought it positively
indecent to speak of sacred things so early in the morning in cold
blood. "What has this drivel to do with your stopping here?" she asked
angrily.

"It has everything to do with it--my duty towards myself is to be as
happy and as good as possible, and my duty towards my neighbour----"

"Oh, bother your neighbour and your duty!" cried Susie in exasperation.

"--is to help him to be good and happy too."

"Him? Her, I hope. Don't forget decency, my dear. A girl has no duties
whatever towards male neighbours."

"Well, I do mean her," said Anna, looking up and laughing.

"So you think that by living here you'll make yourself happy?"

"Yes, I do--I do think s