with a terrible completeness.  Then she would feel quite alone and horribly ashamed; she would at moments think of herself as something degraded and to be shunned.  Some natures would have simply sunk into a nervous state of depression, but Molly had great vitality and natural ambition.  In her ideal moments she thought of devoting her life to her mother; and the ayah’s words were still a text, “The faithful child will find a way.”  But in darker hours she defied the world that was against her.

Molly, having decided to make no effort at any change in her life until the emancipating age of twenty-one, determined to prepare herself as fully as possible for the future.  Mrs. Carteret was quite willing to keep Miss Carew until her niece was nearly twenty, and by that time the girl had read a surprising amount, while her mind was not to be despised.  She had also “come out” as far as a very sleepy neighbourhood made it possible for her to see any society.  She had been to three balls, and a good many garden parties.  No one found her very attractive in her manners, though her appearance had in it now something that arrested attention.  She took her position in the small Carteret circle in virtue of a certain energy and force of will.  Molly danced, and played tennis, and rode as well as any girl in those parts, but she did not hide a silent and, at present, rather childish scorn which was in her nature.  Miss Carew left her with regret and with more affection than Molly gave her back, for the governess was proud of her, and felt in watching her the pleasures of professional success.  Perhaps she put down too much of this success to her own skill, but it was true that, without Miss Carew, Molly would have been a very undeveloped young person.  There was still one year after this parting before Molly would be free, and it seemed longer and slower as each day passed.  One interest helped to make it endurable.  A trained hospital nurse had been provided for the village, and Molly spent a great deal of time learning her craft.  The nursing instinct was exceedingly strong and not easily put down, and, if Molly must interfere with sick people, it was as well, in Mrs. Carteret’s opinion, that she should learn how to do it properly.

But the slow months rolled by at length, and the last year of bondage was finished.

The sun did its best to congratulate Molly on her twenty-first birthday.  It shone in full glory on the great, green hills, and the blue shadows in the hollows were transparent with reflected gold.  The sunlight trembled in the bare branches of the beeches and turned their grey trunks to silver.

Standing in the little study, Molly’s whole figure seemed to expand in the sunshine.  Her eyes sparkled, her lips parted, and she at once drank in and gave forth her delight.