the old pedantic tone. His figure, in sympathy with it,
abandoned an easy attitude and became awkward. But Monica would not
allow herself to be alarmed. During the past week she had conducted
herself so as to smooth the way for this very discussion. Unsuspecting
husband!

'I wish to do my duty,' she said in a firm tone, 'but I don't think
it's right to make dull work for oneself, when one might be living. I
don't think it _is_ living to go on week after week like that. If we
were poor, and I had a lot of children to look after as well as all the
housework to do, I believe I shouldn't grumble--at least, I hope I
shouldn't. I should know that I ought to do what there was no one else
to do, and make the best of it. But----'

'Make the best of it!' he interrupted indignantly. 'What an expression
to use! It would not only be your duty, dear, but your privilege!'

'Wait a moment, Edmund. If you were a shopman earning fifteen shillings
a week, and working from early morning to late at night, should you
think it not Only your duty but your privilege?'

He made a wrathful gesture.

'What comparison is there? I should be earning a hard livelihood by
slaving for other people. But a married woman who works in her own
home, for her husband's children--'

'Work is work, and when a woman is overburdened with it she must find
it difficult not to weary of home and husband and children all
together. But of course I don't mean to say that my work is too hard.
All I mean is, that I don't see why any one should _make_ work, and why
life shouldn't be as full of enjoyment as possible.'

'Monica, you have got these ideas from those people at Chelsea. That is
exactly why I don't care for you to see much of them. I utterly
disapprove of--'

'But you are mistaken. Miss Barfoot and Miss Nunn are all for work.
They take life as seriously as you do.'

'Work? What kind of work? They want to make women unwomanly, to make
them unfit for the only duties women ought to perform. You know very
well my opinions about that kind of thing.'

He was trembling with the endeavour to control himself, to speak
indulgently.

'I don't think, Edmund, there's much real difference between men and
women. That is, there wouldn't be, if women had fair treatment.'

'Not much difference? Oh, come; you are talking nonsense. There's as
much difference between their minds as between their bodies. They are
made for entirely different duties.'

Monica sighed.