he was lucky enough to get a place
as a lady's-maid at twenty-five pounds a year--at Scotcher's she had
fifteen. But we heard that she burst a blood-vessel, and now she's in
the hospital at Brompton.'

'Delightful story! Haven't you an early-closing day?'

'They had before I went there; but only for about three months. Then
the agreement broke down.'

'Like the assistants. A pity the establishment doesn't follow suit.'

'But you wouldn't say so, Miss Nunn, if you knew how terribly hard it
is for many girls to find a place, even now.'

'I know it perfectly well. And I wish it were harder. I wish girls fell
down and died of hunger in the streets, instead of creeping to their
garrets and the hospitals. I should like to see their dead bodies
collected together in some open place for the crowd to stare at.'

Monica gazed at her with wide eyes.

'You mean, I suppose, that people would try to reform things.'

'Who knows? Perhaps they might only congratulate each other that a few
of the superfluous females had been struck off. Do they give you any
summer holiday?'

'A week, with salary continued.'

'Really? With salary continued? That takes one's breath away Are many
of the girls ladies?'

'None, at Scotcher's. They nearly all come from the country. Several
are daughters of small farmers and those are dreadfully ignorant. One
of them asked me the other day in what country Africa was.'

'You don't find them very pleasant company?'

'One or two are nice quiet girls.'

Rhoda drew a deep sigh, and moved with impatience.

'Well, don't you think you've had about enough of it--experience and
all?'

'I might go into a country business: it would be easier.'

'But you don't care for the thought?'

'I wish now they had brought me up to something different. Alice and
Virginia were afraid of having me trained for a school; you remember
that one of our sisters who went through it died of overwork. And I'm
not clever, Miss Nunn. I never did much at school.'

Rhoda regarded her, smiling gently.

'You have no inclination to study now?'

'I'm afraid not,' replied the other, looking away. 'Certainly I should
like to be better educated, but I don't think I could study seriously,
to earn my living by it. The time for that has gone by.'

'Perhaps so. But there are things you might manage. No doubt your
sister told you how I get my living. There's a good deal of employment
for women who learn to use a typewriter. Did you e