The Odd Women

-door in a little street by Lavender Hill. A card in the window gave notice that a bedroom was here to let. When the door opened, and

, tired voice, with an accent of good breeding. 'I have a difficulty in finding preci

let, replied the other

house, small, but neatly furnished. Its appearance s

t should

mum, on what atten

ttle attendance indeed. My ways are very simple. I should make the bed myself, and-and, do the other little

rience of lodgers who were anxious to give as little tr

tion at length, 'would y

se a younger sister of mine is employed here in a house of business; she recommended me to seek for lodgings in this part; I might as well be near her whilst I am endeavouring to find another post; perhaps I

landlady

lling to pay fiv

ian, and as the meals I take are so very simple, I feel that I might just as well prepare them myself. Would you object to my doing so in this room? A kett

eement had been devised which seemed

lf. If I make five or six shillings a week out of my spare room, I don't grumble. But the

hall be brought here this evening. And, as I am quite un

for that; but it'

sixpence at once. Be so kind

self at Lavender Hill, and dwe

ad. The young lady came every Sunday, and in bad weather spent the whole day up in the little bedroom. Lodger and landlady were on remarka

fternoon, Miss Madden descended to the kitchen

onisbee? Could I have a lit

e engrossing occupation than the ironin

she is leaving her post with the family at Hereford. The childre

eed,

d have any objection to her sharing my room with me? Of course there must be an extra payment. The room is small for two persons, but then the arrange

de of discontent. By this time she knew th

ult to find, if you thought you could both live in that little room. And as for the r

write to my sister at once; the news will be a great relief to

pied by her daughter, which was on the same floor. In a day or two the sisters had begun a life of orderly tenor. When weather permitted they were out either in the morning or afternoon. Al

ch personal like

alth had but rounded and coloured them, would have expressed pleasantly enough the gentleness and sincerity of her character. Her cheeks were loose, puffy, and permanently of the hue which is produced by cold; her forehead gener

iew her countenance still had a grace, a sweetness, all the more noticeable because of its threatened extinction. For she was rapidly ageing; her lax lips grew laxer, with emphasis of a characteristic one wo

y. The voice of the elder sister had contracted an unpleasant hoarseness, but she spoke with good enunciation; a slight stiffness and pedantry of ph

evedon. The story of his daughters' lives in the interval ma

s found that the patrimony of his six girls amount

, a sum of money; but how, in these

en he did. It might be reckoned to him for righteousness that he spent the railway fare between Cheltenham and Clevedon to attend his brother's fu

e girls presents. Her communication was barely legible; it seemed to contain fortifying texts of Scripture, but nothing in the way of wor

, Mr. Hungerford (testamentary instruction allowing him much freedom of action) decided that the three elder girls must forthwith become self-supporting, and that the three younger should live together in the care of a lady of small means, who offered to house and keep them fo

anion by a gentlewoman at Weston-super-Mare; her payment, twelve pounds. Gertrude, fourteen years old, also went to Weston, wh

t by, and saw

ounter would not have been Monica's choice if any more liberal employment had seemed within her reach. She had no aptitude whatever for giving instruction; indeed, had no aptitude for anything but being a pretty, cheerful, engaging girl, much dependent on the love and gentleness of those about her. In speech and bearing Monica greatly resembled her mother; that is to say, she had native elegance. Certainly it might be deemed a pity that such a girl could not be introduced to one of the higher walks of life; bu

her health damaged by attendance upon an exacting invalid and in profitless study when she ought to have been sleeping, would attract any man in search of a wife. Poor Isabel was so extremely plain

melancholia. A charitable institution ultimately received her, and there,

saving them from many an hour of bitterness which must else have been added to their lot. By a new arrangement, the capital was at length made over to Alice and Virginia jointly, the youn

onial or other, time went on

otably surpassed them in beauty of person, talked much about her as the time approached, devising how to procure

A verse of Keble-just one verse at bedtime and i

asse

ith anxious look. 'It wouldn't be justifiabl

ear

fetched from downstairs (Mrs. Conisbee had assigned to them a shelf in her larder) bread, butter, cheese, a pot of preserve, and arranged the table (three feet by one and a half)

s somewhat different. Up to about her twenty-fourth year she had pursued one subject with a zeal limited only by her opportunities; study absolutely disinterested, seeing that she had never supposed it would increase her value as a 'companion', or enable her to take any better position. Her one intellectual desire was to know as much as possible about ecclesiastical history. Not in a spirit of fanaticism; she was devout, but in moderation, and never spoke bitterly on religious topics. The growth of the Christian Church, old sects and schisms, the Councils, affairs of Papal policy-these things had a very genuine interest for her; circumstances favouring, she might have become an erudite woman; But the conditions were so

versation. The same grave thought preoccupied bo

muring, half absently, 'I sh

sy on my own account,

rson at Southend

factory. Positively illiterate-oh, I couldn't b

ice, 'that I had accepte

and not a penny of salary. I

elf. Certificates, and even degrees, are asked for on every hand. With nothing but references t

me,' lamented the companion. 'I wish now

th would never h

re active life might do me goo

d this possibilit

ur position,' sh

always made her more cheerful. Virginia al

erious as it could be. I have only one poun

upposing we neither of us obtain employment before the end of this year. We have

sible,' sai

e a computation on a piece of paper-'that is two pounds, sixteen shillings and eightpence a month-let us

iumph. Her dull eyes brightened as though

ice. 'Seven shillings rent; that leaves only seve

d need not cost more than sixpence a day-three and sixpence a week. I do really bel

her, like people about to stak

of the name?' asked V

ll not. But it helps one to know that, strictly sp

Virginia an o

might have done to find a new place. These comfortable lodgings, and the pleasure of seeing Monica once a week, have tempted me

f her sister were touching on a subject hardl

thinking of that, dear,'

er. I am wrong to indu

th all the impressiveness of tone she could command,

f we grow old

us even board and lod

ch other in a doleful litany, 'then indeed we shall be glad that nothing tempted us t

a volume, and until te

ved with more or less well-to-do families in the lower middle class-people who could not have inherited refinement, and had not acquired any, neither proletarians nor gentlefolk, consumed with a disease of vulgar pretentiousness, inflated with the miasma of democracy. It would have been but a natural result of such a

hour later they went to bed. Lamp oil was costly; and indeed they

descending to fetch it, Virginia found that the postman had left a letter for her. The

his be fro

ed in moving about. The close atmosphere of the bedroom would alone have accounted for

she said, examining

ve been in corre

ce I wrote to an

the envelope. At length Virginia summoned courage. Standing at a distance from the other,

think? It's

How could she hav

discussed whilst its read

robbing head, made worse by the agitation,

ter ran

d gave me your address. After all these years, how glad I should be to see you! The struggle of life has made me selfish; I have neglected my old friends. And yet I am bound to add that some of them have neglected me. Would you rather that I came to

A NU

remember that perhaps we may not care to receive visitors! She was alw

go to her,

rites cheerfully; I am sure she must be in a good position. What is the address? Queen

acher. About the date of Monica's apprenticeship at Weston, Miss Nunn had a chance meeting with Virginia and the younger girl; she was still teachi

his morning and purchase the present for Monica's birthday, which was next Sunday. But Alice felt too unwell

ad gone to an indeterminate grey. Her hat of brown straw was a possession for ever; it underwent new trimming, at an outlay of a few pence, when that became unavoidable. Yet Virginia could not have been j

ed her and gave her a sense of holiday. Past Battersea Park, over Chelsea Bridge, then the weary stretch to Victoria Station, and the upward labo

ething more than weariness, something less than anxiety, something other than calculation. In front of Charing Cross Station she stopped, looking vaguely about

he strangest way, as though a difficulty of breathing had assailed he

he door of the refreshment room, and looked in through the glass. Two or th

h a hurried, nervous movement, she pushed the door open and went up to a part of the counter as far as po

e me a litt

to a ghastly pallor. The barmaid, concluding that she w

sipped hurriedly two or three times, and at length took a draught. Colour flowed to her cheeks; her eyes lost their

oons, gave her new strength. She walked into Trafalgar Square and viewed it like a person who stands there for the first time, smiling, interested. A quarter of an hour passed whilst s

per bag something which was to serve for dinner. Alice h

'we never took account

ting down with a look of exhaustion. She smiled, bu

it. We will have dinner as s

perpetual. But they generally made a point of deceiving each other, and tried to delude themselves;

ry,' exclaimed Virginia. 'You'll

and endeavoured to console herself out o