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how do you arrange that？ My mother's society will make me older；〃
Rose replied。
〃Don't speak to me of your mother； you HAVE no mother。〃
〃Then if I'm an orphan I must settle things for myself。〃
〃Do you justify her； do you approve of her？〃 cried Miss Tramore； who
was inferior to her niece in capacity for retort and whose
limitations made the girl appear pert。
Rose looked at her a moment in silence； then she said； turning away：
〃I think she's charming。〃
〃And do you propose to become charming in the same manner？〃
〃Her manner is perfect； it would be an excellent model。 But I can't
discuss my mother with you。〃
〃You'll have to discuss her with some other people！〃 Miss Tramore
proclaimed； going out of the room。
Rose wondered whether this were a general or a particular
vaticination。 There was something her aunt might have meant by it；
but her aunt rarely meant the best thing she might have meant。 Miss
Tramore had come up from St。 Leonard's in response to a telegram from
her own parent； for an occasion like the present brought with it； for
a few hours； a certain relaxation of their dissent。 〃Do what you can
to stop her；〃 the old lady had said； but her daughter found that the
most she could do was not much。 They both had a baffled sense that
Rose had thought the question out a good deal further than they； and
this was particularly irritating to Mrs。 Tramore； as consciously the
cleverer of the two。 A question thought out as far as SHE could
think it had always appeared to her to have performed its human uses；
she had never encountered a ghost emerging from that extinction。
Their great contention was that Rose would cut herself off； and
certainly if she wasn't afraid of that she wasn't afraid of anything。
Julia Tramore could only tell her mother how little the girl was
afraid。 She was already prepared to leave the house； taking with her
the possessions； or her share of them； that had accumulated there
during her father's illness。 There had been a going and coming of
her maid； a thumping about of boxes； an ordering of four…wheelers； it
appeared to old Mrs。 Tramore that something of the objectionableness；
the indecency； of her granddaughter's prospective connection had
already gathered about the place。 It was a violation of the decorum
of bereavement which was still fresh there； and from the indignant
gloom of the mistress of the house you might have inferred not so
much that the daughter was about to depart as that the mother was
about to arrive。 There had been no conversation on the dreadful
subject at luncheon； for at luncheon at Mrs。 Tramore's （her son never
came to it） there were always； even after funerals and other
miseries； stray guests of both sexes whose policy it was to be
cheerful and superficial。 Rose had sat down as if nothing had
happenednothing worse； that is； than her father's death； but no one
had spoken of anything that any one else was thinking of。
Before she left the house a servant brought her a message from her
grandmotherthe old lady desired to see her in the drawing…room。
She had on her bonnet； and she went down as if she were about to step
into her cab。 Mrs。 Tramore sat there with her eternal knitting； from
which she forebore even to raise her eyes as； after a silence that
seemed to express the fulness of her reprobation； while Rose stood
motionless； she began： 〃I wonder if you really understand what
you're doing。〃
〃I think so。 I'm not so stupid。〃
〃I never thought you were； but I don't know what to make of you now。
You're giving up everything。〃
The girl was tempted to inquire whether her grandmother called
herself 〃everything〃； but she checked this question； answering
instead that she knew she was giving up much。
〃You're taking a step of which you will feel the effect to the end of
your days；〃 Mrs。 Tramore went on。
〃In a good conscience； I heartily hope；〃 said Rose。
〃Your father's conscience was good enough for his mother； it ought to
be good enough for his daughter。〃
Rose sat downshe could afford toas if she wished to be very
attentive and were still accessible to argument。 But this
demonstration only ushered in； after a moment； the surprising words
〃I don't think papa had any conscience。〃
〃What in the name of all that's unnatural do you mean？〃 Mrs。 Tramore
cried； over her glasses。 〃The dearest and best creature that ever
lived！〃
〃He was kind； he had charming impulses； he was delightful。 But he
never reflected。〃
Mrs。 Tramore stared； as if at a language she had never heard； a
farrago； a galimatias。 Her life was made up of items； but she had
never had to deal； intellectually； with a fine shade。 Then while her
needles； which had paused an instant； began to fly again； she
rejoined： 〃Do you know what you are； my dear？ You're a dreadful
little prig。 Where do you pick up such talk？〃
〃Of course I don't mean to judge between them；〃 Rose pursued。 〃I can
only judge between my mother and myself。 Papa couldn't judge for
me。〃 And with this she got up。
〃One would think you were horrid。 I never thought so before。〃
〃Thank you for that。〃
〃You're embarking on a struggle with society；〃 continued Mrs。
Tramore； indulging in an unusual flight of oratory。 〃Society will
put you in your place。〃
〃Hasn't it too many other things to do？〃 asked the girl。
This question had an ingenuity which led her grandmother to meet it
with a merely provisional and somewhat sketchy answer。 〃Your
ignorance would be melancholy if your behaviour were not so insane。〃
〃Oh； no； I know perfectly what she'll do！〃 Rose replied； almost
gaily。 〃She'll drag me down。〃
〃She won't even do that；〃 the old lady declared contradictiously。
〃She'll keep you forever in the same dull hole。〃
〃I shall come and see YOU； granny； when I want something more
lively。〃
〃You may come if you like； but you'll come no further than the door。
If you leave this house now you don't enter it again。〃
Rose hesitated a moment。 〃Do you really mean that？〃
〃You may judge whether I choose such a time to joke。〃
〃Good…bye； then；〃 said the girl。
〃Good…bye。〃
Rose quitted the room successfully enough； but on the other side of
the door； on the landing； she sank into a chair and buried her face
in her hands。 She had burst into tears； and she sobbed there for a
moment； trying hard to recover herself； so as to go downstairs
without showing any traces of emotion； passing before the servants
and again perhaps before aunt Julia。 Mrs。 Tramore was too old to
cry； she could only drop her knitting and； for a long time； sit with
her head bowed and her eyes closed。
Rose had reckoned justly with her aunt Julia； there were no footmen；
but this vigilant virgin was posted at the foot of the stairs。 She
offered no challenge however； she only said： 〃There's some one in
the parlour who wants to see you。〃 The girl demanded a name； but
Miss Tramore only mouthed inaudibly and winked and waved。 Rose
instantly reflected that there was only one man in the world her aunt
would look such deep things about。 〃Captain Jay？〃 her own eyes
asked； while Miss Tramore's were those of a conspirator： they were；
for a moment； the only embarrassed eyes Rose had encountered that
day。 They contributed to make aunt Julia's further response evasive；
after her niece inquired if she had communicated in advance with this
visitor。 Miss Tramore merely said that he had been upstairs with her
motherhadn't she mentioned it？and had been waiting for her。 She
thought herself acute in not putting the question of the girl's
seeing him before her as a favour to him or to herself； she presented
it as a duty； and wound up with the proposition： 〃It's not fair to
him； it's not kind； not to let him speak to you before you go。〃
〃What does he want to say？〃 Rose demanded。
〃Go in and find out。〃
She really knew； for she had found out before； but after standing
uncertain an instant she went in。 〃The parlour〃 was the name that
had always been borne by a spacious sitting…room downstairs； an
apartment occupied by her father during his frequent phases of
residence in Hill Streetepisodes increasingly frequent after his
house in the country had； in consequence； as Rose perfectly knew； of
his spending too much money； been disposed of at a sacrifice which he
always characterised as horrid。 He had been left with the place in
Hertfordshire and his mother with the London house； on the general
understanding that they would change about； but during the last years
the community had grown more rigid； mainly at his mother's expense。
The parlour was full of his memory and his habits and his thingshis
books and pictures and bibelots； objects that belonged now to Eric。
Rose had sat in it for hours since his death； it was the place in
which she could still be nearest to him。 But she felt far from him
as Captain Jay rose erect on her opening the door。 This was a very
different presence。 He had not liked Captain Jay。 She herself had；
but not enough to make a great complication of her father's coldness。
This afternoon however she foresaw complications。 At the very outset
for instance she was not pleased with his having arranged such a
surpri