partly reminded herself that she was not soft and facile as had been
her sister-in-law, Lucy's mother; and then, as she continued her
work, she assured herself that it would be best to let her niece
have her cry out upstairs. Lucy's violence had astonished her for a
moment, but she had taught herself to think it best to allow such
little ebullitions to pass off by themselves.

Lucy, when she was alone, flung herself upon her bed in absolute
agony. She thought that she had misbehaved, and yet how cruel,--how
harsh had been her aunt's words! If she, the quiet one, had
misbehaved, what would Ayala have done? And how was she to find
strength with which to look forward to the future? She struggled hard
with herself for a resolution. Should she determine that she would
henceforward darn sheets morning, noon, and night till she worked
her fingers to the bone? Perhaps there had been something of truth
in that assertion of her aunt's that the labourers have no time to
grieve. As everything else was shut out from her, it might be well
for her to darn sheets. Should she rush down penitent and beg her
aunt to allow her to commence at once?

She would have done it as far as the sheets were concerned, but she
could not do it as regarded her aunt. She could put herself into
unison with the crumpled soiled linen, but not with the hard woman.

Oh, how terrible was the change! Her father and her mother who had
been so gentle to her! All the sweet prettinesses of her life! All
her occupations, all her friends, all her delights! Even Ayala
was gone from her! How was she to bear it? She begrudged Ayala
nothing,--no, nothing. But yet it was hard! Ayala was to have
everything. Aunt Emmeline,--though they had not hitherto been very
fond of Aunt Emmeline,--was sweetness itself as compared with this
woman. "The sooner you begin to labour the better for yourself and
those about you." Would it not have been fitter that she should have
been sent at once to some actual poor-house in which there would have
been no mistake as to her position?

That it should all have been decided for her, for her and Ayala, not
by any will of their own, not by any concert between themselves, but
simply by the fantasy of another! Why should she thus be made a slave
to the fantasy of any one! Let Ayala have her uncle's wealth and her
aunt's palaces at her command, and she would walk out simply a pauper
into the world,--into some workhouse, so that at least she need