ou are not obsessed by the notion that your
physical charms are all-powerful, and in that fact there is hope for
you. But you attach entirely too much importance to them. You will
find them a hindrance for a long time before they begin to be a help to
you in your career. And they will always be a temptation to you to
take the easy, stupid way of making a living--the only way open to most
women that is not positively repulsive."

"I think it is the most repulsive," said Mildred.

"Don't cant," replied he, unimpressed. "It's not so repulsive to your
sort of woman as manual labor--or as any kind of work that means no
leisure, no luxury and small pay."

"I wonder," said Mildred. "I--I'm afraid you're right. But I WON'T
admit it. I don't dare."

"That's the finest, truest thing I've ever heard you say," said Keith.

Mildred was pleased out of all proportion to the compliment. Said she
with frank eagerness, "Then I'm not altogether hopeless?"

"As a character, no indeed," replied he. "But as a career-- I was
about to say, you may set your mind at rest. I shall never try to
collect for my services. I am doing all this solely out of obstinacy."

"Obstinacy?" asked the puzzled girl.

"The impossible attracts me. That's why I've never been interested to
make a career in law or politics or those things. I care only for the
thing that can't be done. When I saw you and studied you, as I study
every new thing, I decided that you could not possibly make a career."

"Why have you changed your mind?" she interrupted eagerly.

"I haven't," replied he. "If I had, I should have lost interest in
you. Just as soon as you show signs of making a career, I shall lose
interest in you. I have a friend, a doctor, who will take only cases
where cure is impossible. Looking at you, it occurred to me that here
was a chance to make an experiment more interesting than any of his.
And as I have no other impossible task inviting me at present, I
decided to undertake you--if you were willing."

"Why do you tell me this?" she asked. "To discourage me?"

"No. Your vanity will prevent that."

"Then why?"

"To clear myself of all responsibility for you. You understand--I bind
myself to nothing. I am free to stop or to go on at any time."

"And I?" said Mildred.

"You must do exactly as I tell you."

"But that is not fair," cried she.

"Why not?" inquired he. "Without me you have no hope--none whatever."

"I don't b