Regiment of Women

om Louise yesterda

dancing specks of light in her sombre eyes that kept time with the leaping blaze. Clare was a sybarite over her fires. She would not endure coal or gas or stove-wood, and wood only, must be used; and she would pay any price for apple-wood, ostensibly for the quality of its flame, secretly for the mere pleasure of burning fuel with so pleasant a name; for she liked beautiful words as a child likes chocolate-a sober, acquisitive liking. She had, too, though she would not own it, a delight in destruction, costly destruction; she enjoyed the sensation of reckles

ld be bored again, and restless for the heavy work under which she affected to groan. Her chafing mind seldom allowed her indolent body much of the

Alwynne? A lett

rs of the Rackham craze, and she had just dis

Clare knew how

up amused but a

dy? Well! And the weeks I

deserved an answer. She really has the quaintest style. And

ne loved her, with the secure and fearless affection of a daughter for a newly-discovered and adorable young mother. She appreciated Alwynne's determination of their relationship, her nice sense of the difference in age, her modesty in reserving any claim to an equality in their friendship, her frank and affectionate admiration-yet, while it pleased her, it could pique. Calm comradeship or surrendering adoration she could cope with, but the subtle admixture of such alien states of mind was puzzling. She had acquired a lover with a sense of humour and she felt that she had her hands full. Her imperious will would, in time, she knew, eliminate either the lover or the humour-it annoyed her that she was not as yet quite convinced that it would be th

she? She had always so much to say to Clare, that if she stopped to bother about handwriting--! Had Clare never got into a row for untidiness in her own young days? Elsbeth had hinted.... But of course she reserved judgment till she had heard Clare's version! She settled to attention and Clare, inveigled into re

all her protests, that Clare had been moved to answer; she knew so well the delight it would give Louise. The child would need cheering up. For, quite resignedly and by the way, Louise had ment

up at Clare wit

, and Elsbeth is always so afraid of infection; or else she

e to myself then? You've

s eyes l

h sends her kindest regards, and she would be so pleased if you wi

e la

kind of y

id Alwynne, with in

I can't co

s face l

re! Why

l when she first mooted the arrangement, she had not considered final, but this invitation upset her plans. Elsbeth's influence was opposing her. She hated opposition. Also s

lwynne narrowly,

ranged to be at ho

e look

u don't care abou

rallie

your doing, Alwynne? Imagine her dismay if I accepted. A stranger in the gate

ed," cried Alwynne, so eager

ery one doesn't wear your spectacles. Wha

t of her time in church. I go in the morning-(yes, I'm very

be so much better. I shall be alone, you know." Cla

was di

t how could I? Elsbeth would be dreadfully hurt

you c

he time. But Elsbeth's like my mother. It would be beastly of me. You must

e? Clare came first, though Elsbeth must never guess it. Dear old Elsbeth was pretty dense, tha

-refusing categorically! It was incredible! Yet she could not be angry: Alwynne so obviously was longing to be with her.... Equally obviously prepared to risk her displeasure (a heavy penalty already, Clare guessed, to Alwynne), ra

sted neve

ust eat my Christmas di

to us," cried Alwynne. "I

ugged her

my dear Alwynne, ther

cidentally Elsbeth, of some failure in tact. She supposed she had blundered ... she often did....

erself in hast

nown, of course. Elsbeth was quite ri

She spoke with detachment, but inwardly she was alert,

She said I might ask you, with pleasure, if I didn't believe her

laughing naturally, "w

did," confided Alwynne, with one of

t it?" said Clare, with an intim

ving fits!" Alwynne called from the hall wher

d a moment

should not guess her uneasy jealousy: so she had risked the invitation, counting on her knowledge of Clare's character (Clare stamped with vexation-that the woman should have such a memory!) secure that Clare, unsuspicious of her motives, would, by refusing, do exactly as Elsbeth wished. It had been the neatest of gossamer traps-and Clare had walked straight into it.... She was furious. If Alwynne, maddeningly unsuspicious Alwynne, had but enlightened her earlier in the evening! Now she was caught, committed by her own decision of manner to the course of action she most would have wished to avoid.... She could not change her mind now without appearing foolishly vacillating.... It would not do.... She had been bluffed, successfully, gorgeously bluffed.... And Elsbeth was sitting

how indispensable she made herself. Clare knew that her flat would strike her as a dreary place to return to, when she had shut the door on Alwynne. She would sit and read and feel restless and lonely. Ye

were affection that swayed Alwynne, or only a sense of duty.... She believed, because she hoped, that it was duty-a sense of duty was more easily suborned than an affection.... For the present, however, Alwynne must be allowed to do as she thought right. C

tly, side by side. Alwynne opened the entr

are! What

The garden, roadway, roofs, trees and fences glittered like powdere

awhile, e

Alwynne became instantl

g of? Go in at once-you'l

ase Alwynne said good-bye, handing her her candle, and waiting till she shou

me to me fo

lung out

! I mu

me to me fo

now you'd think me a pig i

xpec

e, brightening, "while Elsbeth's at afternoon serv

to d

can

t come at all."

eaned on the balustrade. In the

ke a very naughty small child. Now, aren't you? Honestly? Oh, do turn round and crush me with a look for being impudent,

oked dow

ynne. You must

ed Alwynne. "Nicely, Clare, ve

above. Leaning over the banisters, she put her arms r

my darling,

candlestick, and without another

alked hom