A Hazard of New Fortunes, Part Third

ause these things, however oddly, were tolerated-even encouraged-by society; and they gave Margaret a charm. They made her originality interesting. Mrs. Horn did not intend that they sh

on of these opulent people, and she had of course to na

suggest your c

ther disco

ou ought to go in this

people who don

arity: you reach the cases you know of. The others

rn. "I hope you've counted the cos

r quality of envoy, that her aunt experienced all the comfort which vicarious penance brings. She did not perhaps consider sufficiently her niece's guiltlessness in the expiation. Margaret was not with her at St. Barnaby in the fatal fortnight she passed there, and never saw the Leightons till she went to call upon them. She never complained:

nt, letting them al

neither Mrs. Leighton nor Alma had ever come to enj

ously consented. "And all that I ask you, Margaret, is

e girl, seriously,

uch the Leightons must have built upon her, and how much out of proportion to her desert they must now dislike her; for she seem

ociety affairs. If I wished to go and see those girls just to do them a pleasure, and perhap

Society doesn't rest upon any such basis. It can't; it wo

girl. "All its favors are really bargai

people who did not know her well, for intellectual and moral qualities; she was supposed to be literary and charitable; she almost had opinions and ideals, but really fell short of their possession. She thought that she set bounds to the girl's originality because she recognized them. Margaret understood this better than her aunt, and knew that she had consulted her about going to see the Dryfooses out of deference, and with no expectation of luminous instruction. She was used to being a law to herself, but she knew what she might and might not do, so that she was rather a by-law. She was the kind of girl that might have fancies for artists