! You understand me perfectly, as you always do.'

'If it had been possible, we would have lived together.'

'Ah! how delightful! Don't speak of what can't be.'

'I was going to say,' pursued Sibyl thoughtfully, 'that you will meet
with all sorts of little troubles and worries, which you have never had
any experience of. For one thing, you know'--she leaned back, smiling,
at ease--'people won't behave to you quite as you have been accustomed
to expect. Money is very important even to a man; but to a woman it
means more than you can imagine.'

'Oh, but I shan't be living among the kind of people----'

'No, no. Perhaps you don't quite understand me yet. It isn't the people
you seek who matter, but the people that will seek _you_; and some of
them will have very strange ideas--very strange indeed.'

Alma looked self-conscious, kept her eyes down, and at length nodded.

'Yes. I think I understand.'

'That's why I said "provided". You are not the ordinary girl, and you
won't imagine that I feared for you; I know you too well. It's a
question of being informed and on one's guard. I don't think there's
anyone else who would talk to you like this. It doesn't offend you?'

'Sibyl!'

'Well, then, that's all right. Go into the world by all means, but go
prepared--armed; the word isn't a bit too strong, as I know perfectly.
Some day, perhaps--but there's no need to talk about such things now.'

Alma kept a short silence, breaking it at length with note of
exultation.

'I'm quite decided now. I wanted just to hear what you would say. I
shan't wait a day longer than I can help. The old life is over for me.
If only it had come about in some other way, I should be singing with
rapture. I'm going to begin to live!'

She quivered with intensity of feeling, or with that excitement of the
nerves which simulates intense feeling in certain natures. A flush
stole to her cheek; her eyes were once more full of light. Sibyl
regarded her observantly and with admiration.

'You never thought of the stage, Alma?'

'The stage? Acting?'

'No; I see you never did. And it wouldn't do--of course it wouldn't do.
Something in your look--it just crossed my mind--but of course you have
much greater things before you. It means hard work, and I'm only afraid
you'll work yourself all but to death.'

'I shouldn't wonder,' replied the girl, with a little laugh of pride in
this possibility.

'Well, I too am going away, you know.'

Alma's co