The Convert

ne to bed the night before, they breakfasted, as they did so many

-Moore breakfast table, except such as was initiated by the only child of the marriage, a fragile girl of ten. Little Doris, owing to some obscure threat of hip-disease, made much of her prog

iew to her comprehension, with an art that plainly took its inspiration from affection. If Doris were not well enough to come down, Mr. Fox-Moore read his letters and glanced at 'the' paper, directing his few rem

were easily able to maintain the high reputation of that particular department of the public service. What Mr. Fox-Moore did with the rest of his time was little known. A good deal of it was spent with a much younger bachelor broth

at dreary house, and the master yet forbore to descend for the early meal, he would rejoice the h

for some celebration of the holiday spirit. It found expression in the inclination of the two women to

nothing about till she was obliged. She had just handed up her cup for replenishing when the do

matter?' faltered hi

matter that I venture into my o

airs, too.' No notice being taken of this, she at once set about heating

the table and folding it up-'I thought I asked to be

ed,' said his wife, anxiously

thrusting the paper in

you cal

my Times,

r Ti

you dislike so to have yours looke

round, and seeing his own particular paper ne

u read it before night. When you

it for

news of

news of the day i

rliamentary reports nor t

ord! wh

st time. 'I'm afraid you'll find it's only since I've been h

one out of his ill-humour. 'I suppose you have to keep up with pol

ell known what superhuman efforts we have to mak

-Moore. 'I never s

d last

e afire with Haycroft and the beguiling Borroda

ne on after the Tunbridges' dinner, kept watching with a kind of half-absent-minded scorn his wife's fussily punctilious pains to prepare the brew 'his way.' When all was ready and the tea steaming on its w

d it?' said Vida,

is going away,' sai

his com

as if there were plenty more-'he is very good to you, Vid

ot as rude to me

. And you-you rather f

ee t

for me if he took it into

head to forbid your ha

polite he just laughs. Sti

you have to

ot to try him too far. For my s

ent-like hand, and her sister

said Vida. 'Now we'll

. Fox-Moore asked quite cheerfully f

hesitating negative with a quite definite, 'I couldn't stand slums to-day.' The two exchanged the look that means, 'H

, despite one being attractive and the other in some way repellent. The observer traces the same lines in each face, the same intensifica

o despised of the little Tunbridges. This device did not so much 'finish off' the neck of Mrs. Fox-Moore's gowns, as allow the funereal dulness of them to overflow on to her brown neck. It even cast an added shadow on her sallow cheek. The figure of the older woman, gaunt and thin enough, announced the further constriction of the corset. By way of revenge the sharp shoulder-blades poked the corset out till it defined a ridge in the black silk back. In front, too, the slab-like figure declined co-operation with the corset, and withdrew, leaving a hiatus that the silk bodice clothed though it did not conceal. You could not have told whether the other woman wore that ancient invention for a figure insufficient or over-exuberant. As you followed her movements, easy with the ease of a child, while she walked

' she admitted. 'Oh, but those yellow a

have known her, but her colouring used to be her strong point. I assure

k, like the last brown leaf to a frosty tree, while she crunched the toast, spoke dryly of the poor; of how 'interesting many of them are;' how when you

d varied as their smells,'

es talk as if yo

ty comes flooding into my face-well, simply all my most uncharitable feelings rise up in revolt. I want to hold my nose and hide my

me out in a slow and grudging gobbet with a heavy plump into the coffee. As she waited, she gently rebu

doing. It salves my conscience, or yours--' Hurriedly she added, '--that's not what you mean to do it for, I know, dear-and you're an a

edn't p

our poor makes me feel in my heart that

aw you fla

I feel most strongly how outrageous it is that, in addition to all my other advantages, I should

her coffee-cup. 'You mus

f rage to see some of those smug Settlement workers, the people that plume themselves on leaving luxurious homes. They don't say how hideously bored

y dear

ly paupers do, perhaps, for wha

as though convicted by the recol

said-'such an ugly surface, too! And the mor

of that disappoin

isillusioned.' Vida threw down her table napkin, and stood

org

d comes to London. He, too, wants "to live for the poor." Never for an instant one of the

d with some feeling, 'No, no, they love and respect him!' Vida paus

s found his vocation,' Mrs. Fox-Moor

He's able to look on himself as a benefactor. He's

rossly unf

hat good, what earthly good, is all th

should go into the dark places and brighten hopeless lives with a

he fire; 'and a little good mus

practical religion, i

young people playing at reform. The poor wanting work, wanting decent

have you b

elf on the privacy of the poor once a week with you-and I'm done with it! Pers

ed the toneless voice fr

delicate fabric of her silk petticoat to meet the fiery ordeal. 'If it annoys you to hear me say that's my view of charity, why, don't make me talk about it;' but the face she turned for an instant over her shoulder was fa

sound of a chair moved back, eloquent somehow

ming back to her sister, lai

rather goaded me into saying all this by looking

innocent of rancour. Janet Fox-Moore gave the impression of being t

'I'd nearly forgotten; there's

As Mrs. Fox-Moore gathered up her letters, she gav

e women fill up the holes in our lives with!' Vida said, as she followed her siste

t your looks and the indescribable "rest," you'd be a success

ficult, "bothering" part of getting up a monster thing of this sort, reconciling malcontents, enlisting the great operatic s

Freddy's not

me of being a "managing

ida could administer a state," she said. Yes, I laughed, too, but Mrs. Freddy shook he

n at her sister over the banisters. 'Does she think b

bonnet. She means, as she'll tell you, that "you have no more

t. But it has an odd sound, hasn'

reddy f

oman laughed as she ran up the last half of the long flight of stairs. At the top she halted a moment, and called down to Mrs. Fox-Moore, who was exam

N

Freddy is maintained by the strictest s