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〃I've done nothing YOU wouldn't approve ofor find excuses for。 But that's because youIall of us in this classand in most other classeshave been trained to false ideasno； to perverted ideasto a system of morality that's twisted to suit the demands of practical life。 On Sundays we go to a magnificent church to hear an expensive preacher and choir； go in expensive dress and in carriages； and we never laugh at ourselves。 Yet we are going in the name of One who was born in a stable and who said that we must give everything to the poor； and so on。〃
〃But I don't see what we could do about it〃 she said hesitatingly。
〃We couldn't do anything。 Onlydon't you see my point？the difference between theory and practice？ Personally； I've no objectionno strong objectionto the practice。 All I object to is the lying and faking about it； to make it seem to fit the theory。 But we were talking of womenwomen who work。〃
〃I've no doubt you're right；〃 admitted she。 〃I suppose they aren't to blame for using their sex。 I ought to be ashamed of myself； to sneer at them。〃
〃As a matter of fact； their sex does few of them any good。 The reverse。 You see； an attractive woman one who's attractive AS a womancan skirmish round and find some one to support her。 But most of the working womenthose who keep on at itdon't find the man。 They're not attractive； not even at the start。 After they've been at it a few years and lose the little bloom they ever hadwhy； they've got to take their chances at the game； precisely like a man。 Only； they're handicapped by always hoping that they'll be able to quit and become married women。 I'd like to see how men would behave if they could find or could imagine any alternative to ‘root hog or die。' 〃
〃What's the matter with you this evening； Fred？ I never saw you in such a bitter mood。〃
〃We never happened to get on this subject before。〃
〃Oh； yes； we have。 And you always have scoffed at the men who fail。〃
〃And I still scoff at themmost of them。 A lot of lazy cowards。 Or else； so bent on self…indulgence petty self…indulgencethat they refuse to make the small sacrifice to…day for the sake of the large advantage day after to…morrow。 Or else so stuffed with vanity that they never see their own mistakes。 However； why blame them？ They were born that way； and can't change。 A man who has the equipment of success and succeeds has no more right to sneer at one less lucky than you would have to laugh at a poor girl because she wasn't dressed as well as you。〃
〃What a mood！ SOMETHING must have happened。〃
〃Perhaps；〃 said he reflectively。 〃Possibly that girl set me off。〃
〃What girl？〃
〃The one I told you about。 The unfortunate little creature who was typewriting for me this afternoon。 Not so very little； either。 A curious figure she had。 She was tall yet she wasn't。 She seemed thin； and when you looked again； you saw that she was really only slender； and beautifully shaped throughout。〃
Miss Burroughs laughed。 〃She must have been attractive。〃
〃Not in the least。 Absolutely without charmand so homelyno； not homelycommonplace。 No； that's not right； either。 She had a startling way of fading and blazing out。 One moment she seemed a blankpale； lifeless； colorless； a nobody。 The next minute she becameamazingly different。 Not the same thing every time； but different things。〃
Frederick Norman was too experienced a dealer with women deliberately to make the mistakerather； to commit the breach of tact and courtesyinvolved in praising one woman to another。 But in this case it never occurred to him that he was talking to a woman of a woman。 Josephine Burroughs was a lady； the other was a piece of office machineryand a very trivial piece at that。 But he saw and instantly understood the look in her eyesthe strained effort to keep the telltale upper lip from giving its prompt and irrepressible signal of inward agitation。
〃I'm very much interested；〃 said she。
〃Yes； she was a curiosity；〃 said he carelessly。
〃Has she been therelong？〃 inquired Josephine； with a feigned indifference that did not deceive him。
〃Several months； I believe。 I never noticed her until a few days ago。 And until to…day I had forgotten her。 She's one of the kind it's difficult to remember。〃
He fell to glancing round the house； pretending to be unconscious of the furtive suspicion with which she was observing him。 She said：
〃She's your secretary now？〃
〃Merely a general office typewriter。〃
The curtain went up for the second act。 Josephine fixed her attention on the stageapparently undivided attention。 But Norman felt rather than saw that she was still worrying about the 〃curiosity。〃 He marveled at this outcropping of jealousy。 It seemed ridiculous it WAS ridiculous。 He laughed to himself。 If she could see the girlthe obscure； uninteresting cause of her agitationhow she would mock at herself！ Then； too； there was the absurdity of thinking him capable of such a stoop。 A woman of their own classor a woman of its corresponding class； on the other side of the line yes。 No doubt she had heard things that made her uneasy； or； at least； ready to be uneasy。 But this poorly dressed obscurity； with not a charm that could attract even a man of her own lowly class It was such a good joke that he would have teased Josephine about it but for his knowledge of the worlda knowledge in whose primer it was taught that teasing is both bad taste and bad judgment。 Also； it was beneath his dig… nity； it was offense to his vanity； to couple his name with the name of one so beneath him that even the matter of sex did not make the coupling less intolerable。
When the curtain fell several people came into the box； and he went to make a few calls round the parterre。 He returned after the second act。 They were again alonethe deaf old aunt did not count。 At once Josephine began upon the same subject。 With studied indifferencehow amusing for a woman of her inexperience to try to fool a man of his experience！she said：
〃Tell me some more about that typewriter girl。 Women who work always interest me。〃
〃She wouldn't；〃 said Norman。 The subject had been driven clean out of his mind； and he didn't wish to return to it。 〃Some day they will venture to make judicious long cuts in Wagner's operas； and then they'll be interesting。 It always amuses me； this reverence of little people for the great onesas if a great man were always great。 Nohe IS always great。 But often it's in a dull way。 And the dull parts ought to be skipped。〃
〃I don't like the opera this evening；〃 said she。 〃What you said a while ago has set me to thinking。 Is that girl a lady？〃
〃She works；〃 laughed he。
〃But she might have been a lady。〃
〃I'm sure I don't know。〃
〃Don't you know ANYTHING about her？〃
〃Except that she's trustworthyand insignificant and not too good at her business。〃
〃I shouldn't think you could afford to keep incompetent people；〃 said the girl shrewdly。
〃Perhaps they won't keep her；〃 parried Norman gracefully。 〃The head clerk looks after those things。〃
〃He probably likes her。〃
〃No；〃 said Norman； too indifferent to be cautious。 〃She has no ‘gentlemen friends。' 〃
〃How do you know that？〃 said the gi