第1章

CHAPTERTHEFIRST

ANNVERONICATALKSTOHERFATHER

Part1

OneWednesdayafternooninlateSeptember，AnnVeronicaStanleycamedownfromLondoninastateofsolemnexcitementandquiteresolvedtohavethingsoutwithherfatherthatveryevening。

Shehadtrembledonthevergeofsucharesolutionbefore，butthistimequitedefinitelyshemadeit。Acrisishadbeenreached，andshewasalmostgladithadbeenreached。Shemadeuphermindinthetrainhomethatitshouldbeadecisivecrisis。Itisforthatreasonthatthisnovelbeginswithherthere，andneitherearliernorlater，foritisthehistoryofthiscrisisanditsconsequencesthatthisnovelhastotell。

ShehadacompartmenttoherselfinthetrainfromLondontoMorningsidePark，andshesatwithbothherfeetontheseatinanattitudethatwouldcertainlyhavedistressedhermothertosee，andhorrifiedhergrandmotherbeyondmeasure；shesatwithherkneesuptoherchinandherhandsclaspedbeforethem，andshewassolostinthoughtthatshediscoveredwithastart，fromaletteredlamp，thatshewasatMorningsidePark，andthoughtshewasmovingoutofthestation，whereasshewasonlymovingin。"Lord！"shesaid。Shejumpedupatonce，caughtupaleatherclutchcontainingnotebooks，afattext-book，andachocolate-and-yellow-coveredpamphlet，andleapedneatlyfromthecarriage，onlytodiscoverthatthetrainwasslowingdownandthatshehadtotraversethefulllengthoftheplatformpastitagainastheresultofherprecipitation。"Soldagain，"sheremarked。"Idiot！"Sheragedinwardlywhileshewalkedalongwiththatairofself-containedserenitythatispropertoayoungladyofnearlytwo-and-twentyundertheeyeoftheworld。

Shewalkeddownthestationapproach，pasttheneat，obtrusiveofficesofthecoalmerchantandthehouseagent，andsotothewicket-gatebythebutcher’sshopthatledtothefieldpathtoherhome。Outsidethepost-officestoodano-hatted，blondyoungmaningrayflannels，whowaselaboratelyaffixingastamptoaletter。Atthesightofherhebecamerigidandasingularlybrightshadeofpink。Shemadeherselfserenelyunawareofhisexistence，thoughitmaybeitwashispresencethatsentherbythefielddetourinsteadofbythedirectpathuptheAvenue。

"Umph！"hesaid，andregardedhisletterdoubtfullybeforeconsigningittothepillar-box。"Heregoes，"hesaid。ThenhehoveredundecidedlyforsomesecondswithhishandsinhispocketsandhismouthpuckeredtoawhistlebeforeheturnedtogohomebytheAvenue。

AnnVeronicaforgothimassoonasshewasthroughthegate，andherfaceresumeditsexpressionofsternpreoccupation。"It’seithernowornever，"shesaidtoherself……

MorningsideParkwasasuburbthathadnotaltogether，aspeoplesay，comeoff。Itconsisted，likepre-RomanGaul，ofthreeparts。TherewasfirsttheAvenue，whichraninaconsciouslyelegantcurvefromtherailwaystationintoanundevelopedwildernessofagriculture，withbig，yellowbrickvillasoneitherside，andthentherewasthepavement，thelittleclumpofshopsaboutthepost-office，andundertherailwayarchwasacongestionofworkmen’sdwellings。TheroadfromSurbitonandEpsomranunderthearch，and，likeabrightfungoidgrowthintheditch，therewasnowappearingasortoffourthestateoflittlered-and-whiterough-castvillas，withmeretriciousgablesandverybrassywindow-blinds。BehindtheAvenuewasalittlehill，andaniron-fencedpathwentoverthecrestofthistoastileunderanelm-tree，andforkedthere，withonebranchgoingbackintotheAvenueagain。

"It’seithernowornever，"saidAnnVeronica，againascendingthisstile。"MuchasIhaterows，I’veeithergottomakeastandorgiveinaltogether。"

SheseatedherselfinalooseandeasyattitudeandsurveyedthebacksoftheAvenuehouses；thenhereyeswanderedtowherethenewred-and-whitevillaspeepedamongthetrees。Sheseemedtobemakingsomesortofinventory。"YeGods！"shesaidatlast。

"WHATaplace！

"Stuffyisn’tthewordforit。

"Iwonderwhathetakesmefor？"

Whenpresentlyshegotdownfromthestileacertainnoteofinternalconflict，atouchofdoubt，hadgonefromherwarm-tintedface。Shehadnowtheclearandtranquilexpressionofonewhosemindismadeup。Herbackhadstiffened，andherhazeleyeslookedsteadfastlyahead。

AssheapproachedthecorneroftheAvenuetheblond，no-hattedmaningrayflannelsappeared。Therewasacertainairofforcedfortuityinhismanner。Hesalutedawkwardly。"Hello，Vee！"hesaid。

"Hello，Teddy！"sheanswered。

Hehungvaguelyforamomentasshepassed。

ButitwasclearshewasinnomoodforTeddys。Herealizedthathewascommittedtothepathacrossthefields，anuninterestingwalkatthebestoftimes。

"Oh，dammit！"heremarked，"dammit！"withgreatbitternessashefacedit。

Part2

AnnVeronicaStanleywastwenty-oneandahalfyearsold。Shehadblackhair，fineeyebrows，andaclearcomplexion；andtheforcesthathadmodelledherfeatureshadlovedandlingeredattheirworkandmadethemsubtleandfine。Shewasslender，andsometimessheseemedtall，andwalkedandcarriedherselflightlyandjoyfullyasonewhocommonlyandhabituallyfeelswell，andsometimesshestoopedalittleandwaspreoccupied。Herlipscametogetherwithanexpressionbetweencontentmentandthefaintestshadowofasmile，hermannerwasoneofquietreserve，andbehindthismaskshewaswildlydiscontentedandeagerforfreedomandlife。

Shewantedtolive。Shewasvehementlyimpatient——shedidnotclearlyknowforwhat——todo，tobe，toexperience。Andexperiencewasslowincoming。Alltheworldaboutherseemedtobe——howcanoneputit？——inwrappers，likeahousewhenpeopleleaveitinthesummer。Theblindswerealldrawn，thesunlightkeptout，onecouldnottellwhatcolorsthesegrayswathingshid。Shewantedtoknow。Andtherewasnointimationwhateverthattheblindswouldevergouporthewindowsordoorsbeopened，orthechandeliers，thatseemedtopromisesuchablazeoffire，unveiledandfurnishedandlit。Dimsoulsflittedabouther，notonlyspeakingbutitwouldseemeventhinkinginundertones……

Duringherschooldays，especiallyherearlierschooldays，theworldhadbeenveryexplicitwithher，tellingherwhattodo，whatnottodo，givingherlessonstolearnandgamestoplayandinterestsofthemostsuitableandvariouskinds。Presentlyshewokeuptothefactthattherewasaconsiderablegroupofinterestscalledbeinginloveandgettingmarried，withcertainattractiveandamusingsubsidiarydevelopments，suchasflirtationand"beinginterested"inpeopleoftheoppositesex。

Sheapproachedthisfieldwithherusuallivelinessofapprehension。Buthereshemetwithacheck。Theseinterestsherworldpromptly，throughtheagencyofschoolmistresses，olderschool-mates，heraunt，andanumberofotherresponsibleandauthoritativepeople，assuredhershemustonnoaccountthinkabout。MissMoffatt，thehistoryandmoralinstructionmistress，wasparticularlyexplicituponthisscore，andtheyallagreedinindicatingcontemptandpityforgirlswhosemindsranonsuchmatters，andwhobetrayeditintheirconversationordressorbearing。Itwas，infact，agroupofinterestsquiteunlikeanyothergroup，peculiarandspecial，andonetobethoroughlyashamedof。Nevertheless，AnnVeronicafounditadifficultmatternottothinkofthesethings。Howeverhavingaconsiderableamountofpride，shedecidedshewoulddisavowtheseundesirabletopicsandkeephermindawayfromthemjustasfarasshecould，butitleftherattheendofherschooldayswiththatwrappedfeelingIhavedescribed，andratheratlooseends。

Theworld，shediscovered，withthesemattersbarredhadnoparticularplaceforheratall，nothingforhertodo，exceptafunctionlessexistencevariedbycalls，tennis，selectednovels，walks，anddustinginherfather’shouse。Shethoughtstudywouldbebetter。Shewasaclevergirl，thebestofheryearintheHighSchool，andshemadeavaliantfightforSomervilleorNewnhambutherfatherhadmetandarguedwithaSomervillegirlatafriend’sdinner-tableandhethoughtthatsortofthingunsexedawoman。Hesaidsimplythathewantedhertoliveathome。Therewasacertainamountofdisputation，andmeanwhileshewentonatschool。TheycompromisedatlengthonthesciencecourseattheTredgoldWomen’sCollege——shehadalreadymatriculatedintoLondonUniversityfromschool——shecameofage，andshebickeredwithherauntforlatch-keyprivilegesonthestrengthofthatandherseasonticket。Shamefacedcuriositiesbegantocomebackintohermind，thinlydisguisedasliteratureandart。Shereadvoraciously，andpresently，becauseofheraunt’scensorship，shetooktosmugglinganybooksshethoughtmightbeprohibitedinsteadofbringingthemhomeopenly，andshewenttothetheatrewhenevershecouldproduceanacceptablefriendtoaccompanyher。Shepassedhergeneralscienceexaminationwithdoublehonorsandspecializedinscience。Shehappenedtohaveanacutesenseofformandunusualmentallucidity，andshefoundinbiology，andparticularlyincomparativeanatomy，averyconsiderableinterest，albeittheilluminationitcastuponherpersonallifewasnotaltogetherdirect。Shedissectedwell，andinayearshefoundherselfchafingatthelimitationsoftheladyB。Sc。whoretailedastoreoffadedlearningintheTredgoldlaboratory。Shehadalreadyrealizedthatthisinstructresswashopelesslywrongandfoggy——itisthetestofthegoodcomparativeanatomist——upontheskull。ShediscoveredadesiretoenterasastudentintheImperialCollegeatWestminster，whereRusselltaught，andgoonwithherworkatthefountain-head。

Shehadaskedaboutthatalready，andherfatherhadreplied，evasively:"We’llhavetoseeaboutthat，littleVee；we’llhavetoseeaboutthat。"InthatpostureofbeingseenaboutthematterhunguntilsheseemedcommittedtoanothersessionattheTredgoldCollege，andinthemeantimeasmallconflictaroseandbroughtthelatch-keyquestion，andinfactthequestionofAnnVeronica’spositiongenerally，toanacuteissue。

Inadditiontothevariousbusinessmen，solicitors，civilservants，andwidowladieswholivedintheMorningsideParkAvenue，therewasacertainfamilyofaliensympathiesandartisticquality，theWidgetts，withwhichAnnVeronicahadbecomeveryfriendly。Mr。Widgettwasajournalistandartcritic，addictedtoagreenish-graytweedsuitand"art"brownties；hesmokedcorncobpipesintheAvenueonSundaymorning，travelledthirdclasstoLondonbyunusualtrains，andopenlydespisedgolf。Heoccupiedoneofthesmallerhousesnearthestation。Hehadoneson，whohadbeenco-educated，andthreedaughterswithpeculiarlyjollyredhairthatAnnVeronicafoundadorable。TwoofthesehadbeenherparticularintimatesattheHighSchool，andhaddonemuchtosendhermindexploringbeyondthelimitsoftheavailableliteratureathome。Itwasacheerful，irresponsible，shamelesslyhard-upfamilyinthekeyoffadedgreenandflattenedpurple，andthegirlswentonfromtheHighSchooltotheFaddenArtSchoolandabright，eventfullifeofartstudentdances，Socialistmeetings，theatregalleries，talkingaboutwork，andeven，atintervals，work；andeverandagaintheydrewAnnVeronicafromhersoundpersistentindustryintothecircleoftheseexperiences。TheyhadaskedhertocometothefirstofthetwogreatannualFaddenDances，theOctoberone，andAnnVeronicahadacceptedwithenthusiasm。Andnowherfathersaidshemustnotgo。

Hehad"puthisfootdown，"andsaidshemustnotgo。

GoinginvolvedtwothingsthatallAnnVeronica’stacthadbeenineffectualtoconcealfromherauntandfather。Herusualdignifiedreservehadavailedhernothing。OnepointwasthatshewastowearfancydressinthelikenessofaCorsair’sbride，andtheotherwasthatshewastospendwhatevervestigesofthenightremainedafterthedancewasoverinLondonwiththeWidgettgirlsandaselectpartyin"quiteadecentlittlehotel"

nearFitzroySquare。

"But，mydear！"saidAnnVeronica’saunt。

"Yousee，"saidAnnVeronica，withtheairofonewhosharesadifficulty，"I’vepromisedtogo。Ididn’trealize——Idon’tseehowIcangetoutofitnow。"

Thenitwasherfatherissuedhisultimatum。Hehadconveyedittoher，notverbally，butbymeansofaletter，whichseemedtoherasingularlyignoblemethodofprohibition。"Hecouldn’tlookmeinthefaceandsayit，"saidAnnVeronica。

"Butofcourseit’saunt’sdoingreally。"

AndthusitwasthatasAnnVeronicanearedthegatesofhome，shesaidtoherself:"I’llhaveitoutwithhimsomehow。I’llhaveitoutwithhim。Andifhewon’t——"

Butshedidnotgiveevenunspokenwordstothealternativeatthattime。

Part3

AnnVeronica’sfatherwasasolicitorwithagooddealofcompanybusiness:alean，trustworthy，worried-looking，neuralgic，clean-shavenmanoffifty-three，withahardmouth，asharpnose，iron-grayhair，grayeyes，gold-framedglasses，andasmall，circularbaldnessatthecrownofhishead。HisnamewasPeter。

Hehadhadfivechildrenatirregularintervals，ofwhomAnnVeronicawastheyoungest，sothatasaparenthecametoherperhapsalittlepractisedandjadedandinattentive；andhecalledherhis"littleVee，"andpattedherunexpectedlyanddisconcertingly，andtreatedherpromiscuouslyasofanyagebetweenelevenandeight-and-twenty。TheCityworriedhimagooddeal，andwhatenergyhehadleftoverhespentpartlyingolf，agamehetreatedveryseriously，andpartlyinthepracticesofmicroscopicpetrography。

He"wentin"formicroscopyintheunphilosophicalVictorianmannerashis"hobby。"Abirthdaypresentofamicroscopehadturnedhismindtotechnicalmicroscopywhenhewaseighteen，andachancefriendshipwithaHolbornmicroscopedealerhadconfirmedthatbent。Hehadremarkablyskilfulfingersandaloveofdetailedprocesses，andhehadbecomeoneofthemostdexterousamateurmakersofrocksectionsintheworld。Hespentagooddealmoremoneyandtimethanhecouldafforduponthelittleroomatthetopofthehouse，inproducingnewlapidaryapparatusandnewmicroscopicaccessoriesandinrubbingdownslicesofrocktoatransparentthinnessandmountingtheminabeautifulanddignifiedmanner。Hedidit，hesaid，"todistracthismind。"HischiefsuccessesheexhibitedtotheLowndeanMicroscopicalSociety，wheretheirhightechnicalmeritneverfailedtoexciteadmiration。Theirscientificvaluewaslessconsiderable，sincehechoserocksentirelywithaviewtotheirdifficultyofhandlingortheirattractivenessatconversazioneswhendone。Hehadagreatcontemptforthesectionsthe"theorizers"produced。Theyprovedallsortsofthingsperhaps，buttheywerethick，unequal，pitifulpiecesofwork。Yetanindiscriminating，wrong-headedworldgavesuchfellowsallsortsofdistinctions……

Hereadbutlittle，andthatchieflyhealthylightfictionwithchromatictitles，TheRedSword，TheBlackHelmet，ThePurpleRobe，alsoinorder"todistracthismind。"Hereaditinwinterintheeveningafterdinner，andAnnVeronicaassociateditwithatendencytomonopolizethelamp，andtospreadaverywornpairofdappledfawn-skinslippersacrossthefender。Shewonderedoccasionallywhyhismindneededsomuchdistraction。HisfavoritenewspaperwastheTimes，whichhebeganatbreakfastinthemorningoftenwithmanifestirritation，andcarriedofftofinishinthetrain，leavingnootherpaperathome。

ItoccurredtoAnnVeronicaoncethatshehadknownhimwhenhewasyounger，butdayhadfollowedday，andeachhadlargelyobliteratedtheimpressionofitspredecessor。Butshecertainlyrememberedthatwhenshewasalittlegirlhesometimesworetennisflannels，andalsorodeabicycleverydexterouslyinthroughthegatestothefrontdoor。Andinthosedays，too，heusedtohelphermotherwithhergardening，andhoveraboutherwhileshestoodontheladderandhammeredcreeperstothescullerywall。

IthadbeenAnnVeronica’slotastheyoungestchildtoliveinahomethatbecamelessanimatedandvariousasshegrewup。Hermotherhaddiedwhenshewasthirteen，hertwomucholdersistershadmarriedoff——onesubmissively，oneinsubordinately；hertwobrothershadgoneoutintotheworldwellaheadofher，andsoshehadmadewhatshecouldofherfather。Buthewasnotafatheronecouldmakemuchof。

Hisideasaboutgirlsandwomenwereofasentimentalandmodestquality；theywerecreatures，hethought，eithertoobadforamodernvocabulary，andthenfrequentlymostundesirablydesirable，ortoopureandgoodforlife。Hemadethissimpleclassificationofalargeandvarioussextotheexclusionofallintermediatekinds；heheldthatthetwoclasseshadtobekeptaparteveninthoughtandremotefromoneanother。Womenaremadelikethepotter’svessels——eitherforworshiporcontumely，andarewithalfragilevessels。Hehadneverwanteddaughters。

Eachtimeadaughterhadbeenborntohimhehadconcealedhischagrinwithgreattendernessandeffusionfromhiswife，andhadswornunwontedlyandwithpassionatesincerityinthebathroom。

Hewasamanlyman，freefromanystrongmaternalstrain，andhehadlovedhisdark-eyed，daintybright-colored，andactivelittlewifewitharealveinofpassioninhissentiment。Buthehadalwaysfelt(hehadneverallowedhimselftothinkofit)thatthepromptitudeoftheirfamilywasalittleindelicateofher，andinasenseanintrusion。Hehad，however，plannedbrilliantcareersforhistwosons，and，withacertainhumanamountofwarpinganddelay，theywerepursuingthese。OnewasintheIndianCivilServiceandoneintherapidlydevelopingmotorbusiness。Thedaughters，hehadhoped，wouldbetheirmother’scare。

Hehadnoideasaboutdaughters。Theyhappentoaman。

Ofcoursealittledaughterisadelightfulthingenough。Itrunsaboutgayly，itromps，itisbrightandpretty，ithasenormousquantitiesofsofthairandmorepowerofexpressingaffectionthanitsbrothers。Itisalovelylittleappendagetothemotherwhosmilesoverit，anditdoesthingsquaintlylikeher，gestureswithherverygestures。ItmakeswonderfulsentencesthatyoucanrepeatintheCityandaregoodenoughforPunch。

Youcallitalotofnicknames——"Babs"and"Bibs"and"Viddles"

and"Vee"；youwhackatitplayfully，anditwhacksyouback。Itlovestositonyourknee。Allthatisjollyandasitshouldbe。

Butalittledaughterisonethingandadaughterquiteanother。

ThereonecomestoarelationshipthatMr。Stanleyhadneverthoughtout。Whenhefoundhimselfthinkingaboutit，itupsethimsothatheatonceresortedtodistraction。Thechromaticfictionwithwhichherelievedhismindglancedbutslightlyatthisaspectoflife，andneverwithanyqualityofguidance。Itsheroesneverhaddaughters，theyborrowedotherpeople’s。Theonefault，indeed，ofthisschooloffictionforhimwasthatithadratheralightwaywithparentalrights。Hisinstinctwasinthedirectionofconsideringhisdaughtershisabsoluteproperty，boundtoobeyhim，histogiveawayorhistokeeptobeacomfortinhisdecliningyearsjustashethoughtfit。Aboutthisconceptionofownershipheperceivedanddesiredacertainsentimentalglamour，helikedeverythingproperlydressed，butitremainedownership。Ownershipseemedonlyareasonablereturnforthecaresandexpensesofadaughter’supbringing。Daughterswerenotlikesons。Heperceived，however，thatboththenovelshereadandtheworldhelivedindiscountenancedtheseassumptions。Nothingelsewasputintheirplace，andtheyremainedsottovoce，asitwere，inhismind。Thenewandtheoldcancelledout；hisdaughtersbecamequasi-independentdependents——whichisabsurd。Onemarriedashewishedandoneagainsthiswishes，andnowherewasAnnVeronica，hislittleVee，discontentedwithherbeautiful，safe，andshelteringhome，goingaboutwithhatlessfriendstoSocialistmeetingsandart-classdances，anddisplayingadispositiontocarryherscientificambitionstounwomanlylengths。Sheseemedtothinkhewasmerelythepaymaster，handingoverthemeansofherfreedom。AndnowsheinsistedthatsheMUSTleavethechastenedsecurityoftheTredgoldWomen’sCollegeforRussell’sunbridledclasses，andwantedtogotofancydressdancesinpiratecostumeandspendtheresidueofthenightwithWidgett’sramshacklegirlsinsomeindescribablehotelinSoho！

Hehaddonehisbestnottothinkaboutheratall，butthesituationandhissisterhadbecomealtogethertoourgent。HehadfinallyputasideTheLilacSunbonnet，goneintohisstudy，litthegasfire，andwrittentheletterthathadbroughttheseunsatisfactoryrelationstoahead。

Part4

MYDEARVEE，hewrote。

Thesedaughters！Hegnawedhispenandreflected，torethesheetup，andbeganagain。

"MYDEARVERONICA，——YouraunttellsmeyouhaveinvolvedyourselfinsomearrangementwiththeWidgettgirlsaboutaFancyDressBallinLondon。Igatheryouwishtogoupinsomefantasticget-up，wrappedaboutinyouroperacloak，andthatafterthefestivitiesyouproposetostaywiththesefriendsofyours，andwithoutanyolderpeopleinyourparty，atanhotel。NowIamsorrytocrossyouinanythingyouhavesetyourheartupon，butIregrettosay——"

"H’m，"hereflected，andcrossedoutthelastfourwords。

"——butthiscannotbe。"

"No，"hesaid，andtriedagain:"butImusttellyouquitedefinitelythatIfeelittobemydutytoforbidanysuchexploit。"

"Damn！"heremarkedatthedefacedletter；and，takingafreshsheet，herecopiedwhathehadwritten。Acertainirritationcreptintohismannerashedidso。

"Iregretthatyoushouldeverhaveproposedit，"hewenton。

Hemeditated，andbegananewparagraph。

"Thefactofitis，andthisabsurdprojectofyoursonlybringsittoahead，youhavebeguntogetholdofsomeveryqueerideasaboutwhatayoungladyinyourpositionmayormaynotventuretodo。Idonotthinkyouquiteunderstandmyidealsorwhatisbecomingasbetweenfatheranddaughter。Yourattitudetome——"

Hefellintoabrownstudy。Itwassodifficulttoputprecisely。

"——andyouraunt——"

Foratimehesearchedforthemotjuste。Thenhewenton:

"——and，indeed，tomostoftheestablishedthingsinlifeis，frankly，unsatisfactory。Youarerestless，aggressive，criticalwithallthecrudeunthinkingcriticismofyouth。Youhavenograspupontheessentialfactsoflife(IprayGodyounevermay)，andinyourrashignoranceyouarepreparedtodashintopositionsthatmayendinlifelongregret。Thelifeofayounggirlissetaboutwithprowlingpitfalls。"

HewasarrestedforamomentbyanindistinctpictureofVeronicareadingthislastsentence。Buthewasnowtoodeeplymovedtotraceacertainunsatisfactorinesstoitssourceinamixtureofmetaphors。"Well，"hesaid，argumentatively，"itIS。That’sallaboutit。It’stimesheknew。"

"Thelifeofayounggirlissetaboutwithprowlingpitfalls，fromwhichshemustbeshieldedatallcosts。"

Hislipstightened，andhefrownedwithsolemnresolution。

"SolongasIamyourfather，solongasyourlifeisentrustedtomycare，Ifeelboundbyeveryobligationtousemyauthoritytocheckthisodddispositionofyourstowardextravagantenterprises。Adaywillcomewhenyouwillthankme。Itisnot，mydearVeronica，thatIthinkthereisanyharminyou；thereisnot。Butagirlissoilednotonlybyevilbutbytheproximityofevil，andareputationforrashnessmaydoherasseriousaninjuryasreallyreprehensibleconduct。SodopleasebelievethatinthismatterIamactingforthebest。"

Hesignedhisnameandreflected。Thenheopenedthestudydoorandcalled"Mollie！"andreturnedtoassumeanattitudeofauthorityonthehearthrug，beforetheblueflamesandorangeglowofthegasfire。

Hissisterappeared。

Shewasdressedinoneofthosecomplicateddressesthatarealllaceandworkandconfusedpatterningsofblackandpurpleandcreamaboutthebody，andshewasinmanywaysayoungerfeminineversionofthesamethemeashimself。Shehadthesamesharpnose——which，indeed，onlyAnnVeronica，ofallthefamily，hadescaped。Shecarriedherselfwell，whereasherbrotherslouched，andtherewasacertainaristocraticdignityaboutherthatshehadacquiredthroughherlongengagementtoacurateoffamily，ascionoftheWiltshireEdmondshaws。Hehaddiedbeforetheymarried，andwhenherbrotherbecameawidowershehadcometohisassistanceandtakenovermuchofthecareofhisyoungestdaughter。Butfromthefirstherratherold-fashionedconceptionoflifehadjarredwiththesuburbanatmosphere，theHighSchoolspiritandthememoriesofthelightandlittleMrs。Stanley，whosefamilyhadbeenbyanyreckoninginconsiderable——tousethekindliestterm。MissStanleyhaddeterminedfromtheoutsettohavethewarmestaffectionforheryoungestnieceandtobeasecondmotherinherlife——asecondandabetterone；butshehadfoundmuchtobattlewith，andtherewasmuchinherselfthatAnnVeronicafailedtounderstand。Shecameinnowwithanairofreservedsolicitude。

Mr。Stanleypointedtotheletterwithapipehehaddrawnfromhisjacketpocket。"Whatdoyouthinkofthat？"heasked。

Shetookitupinhermany-ringedhandsandreaditjudicially。

Hefilledhispipeslowly。

"Yes，"shesaidatlast，"itisfirmandaffectionate。"

"Icouldhavesaidmore。"

"Youseemtohavesaidjustwhathadtobesaid。Itseemstomeexactlywhatiswanted。Shereallymustnotgotothataffair。"

Shepaused，andhewaitedforhertospeak。

"Idon’tthinkshequiteseestheharmofthosepeopleorthesortoflifetowhichtheywoulddrawher，"shesaid。"Theywouldspoileverychance。"

"Shehaschances？"hesaid，helpingherout。

"Sheisanextremelyattractivegirl，"shesaid；andadded，"tosomepeople。Ofcourse，onedoesn’tliketotalkaboutthingsuntiltherearethingstotalkabout。"

"Allthemorereasonwhysheshouldn’tgetherselftalkedabout。"

"ThatisexactlywhatIfeel。"

Mr。Stanleytooktheletterandstoodwithitinhishandthoughtfullyforatime。"I’dgiveanything，"heremarked，"toseeourlittleVeehappilyandcomfortablymarried。"

Hegavethenotetotheparlormaidthenextmorninginaninadvertent，casualmannerjustashewasleavingthehousetocatchhisLondontrain。WhenAnnVeronicagotitshehadatfirstawild，fantasticideathatitcontainedatip。

Part5

AnnVeronica’sresolvetohavethingsoutwithherfatherwasnotaccomplishedwithoutdifficulty。

HewasnotduefromtheCityuntilaboutsix，andsoshewentandplayedBadmintonwiththeWidgettgirlsuntildinner-time。Theatmosphereatdinnerwasnotpropitious。Herauntwasblandlyamiableaboveacertaintremulousundertow，andtalkedasiftoacalleraboutthealarmingspreadofmarigoldsthatsummerattheendofthegarden，asortofYellowPeriltoallthesmallerhardyannuals，whileherfatherbroughtsomepaperstotableandpresentedhimselfaspreoccupiedwiththem。"Itreallyseemsasifweshallhavetoputdownmarigoldsaltogethernextyear，"

AuntMollyrepeatedthreetimes，"anddoawaywithmarguerites。

Theyseedbeyondallreason。"Elizabeth，theparlormaid，keptcomingintohandvegetableswheneverthereseemedachanceofAnnVeronicaaskingforaninterview。DirectlydinnerwasoverMr。Stanley，havingpretendedtolingertosmoke，fledsuddenlyup-stairstopetrography，andwhenVeronicatappedheansweredthroughthelockeddoor，"Goaway，Vee！I’mbusy，"andmadealapidary’swheelbuzzloudly。

Breakfast，too，wasanimpossibleoccasion。HereadtheTimeswithanunusuallypassionateintentness，andthendeclaredsuddenlyfortheearlierofthetwotrainsheused。

"I’llcometothestation，"saidAnnVeronica。"Imayaswellcomeupbythistrain。"

"Imayhavetorun，"saidherfather，withanappealtohiswatch。

"I’llrun，too，"shevolunteered。

Insteadofwhichtheywalkedsharply……

"Isay，daddy，"shebegan，andwassuddenlyshortofbreath。

"Ifit’saboutthatdanceproject，"hesaid，"it’snogood，Veronica。I’vemadeupmymind。"

"You’llmakemelookafoolbeforeallmyfriends。"

"Youshouldn’thavemadeanengagementuntilyou’dconsultedyouraunt。"

"IthoughtIwasoldenough，"shegasped，betweenlaughterandcrying。

Herfather’sstepquickenedtoatrot。"Iwon’thaveyouquarrellingandcryingintheAvenue，"hesaid。"Stopit！……

Ifyou’vegotanythingtosay，youmustsayittoyouraunt——"

"Butlookhere，daddy！"

HeflappedtheTimesatherwithanimperiousgesture。

"It’ssettled。You’renottogo。You’reNOTtogo。"

"Butit’saboutotherthings。"

"Idon’tcare。Thisisn’ttheplace。"

"ThenmayIcometothestudyto-night——afterdinner？"

"I’m——BUSY！"

"It’simportant。IfIcan’ttalkanywhereelse——IDOwantanunderstanding。"

Aheadofthemwalkedagentlemanwhomitwasevidenttheymustattheirpresentpaceveryspeedilyovertake。ItwasRamage，theoccupantofthebighouseattheendoftheAvenue。HehadrecentlymadeMr。Stanley’sacquaintanceinthetrainandshownhimoneortwotriflingcivilities。Hewasanoutsidebrokerandtheproprietorofafinancialnewspaper；hehadcomeupveryrapidlyinthelastfewyears，andMr。Stanleyadmiredanddetestedhiminalmostequalmeasure。Itwasintolerabletothinkthathemightoverhearwordsandphrases。Mr。Stanley’spaceslackened。

"You’venorighttobadgermelikethis，Veronica，"hesaid。"I

can’tseewhatpossiblebenefitcancomeofdiscussingthingsthataresettled。Ifyouwantadvice，yourauntistheperson。

However，ifyoumustairyouropinions——"

"To-night，then，daddy！"

Hemadeanangrybutconceivablyanassentingnoise，andthenRamageglancedbackandstopped，salutedelaborately，andwaitedforthemtocomeup。Hewasasquare-facedmanofnearlyfifty，withiron-grayhairamobile，clean-shavenmouthandratherprotuberantblackeyesthatnowscrutinizedAnnVeronica。HedressedratherafterthefashionoftheWestEndthantheCity，andaffectedaculturedurbanitythatsomehowdisconcertedandalwaysannoyedAnnVeronica’sfatherextremely。Hedidnotplaygolf，buttookhisexerciseonhorseback，whichwasalsounsympathetic。

"StuffythesetreesmaketheAvenue，"saidMr。Stanleyastheydrewalongside，toaccountforhisownruffledandheatedexpression。"Theyoughttohavebeenloppedinthespring。"

"There’splentyoftime，"saidRamage。"IsMissStanleycomingupwithus？"

"Igosecond，"shesaid，"andchangeatWimbledon。"

"We’llallgosecond，"saidRamage，"ifwemay？"

Mr。Stanleywantedtoobjectstrongly，butashecouldnotimmediatelythinkhowtoputit，hecontentedhimselfwithagrunt，andthemotionwascarried。"How’sMrs。Ramage？"heasked。

"Verymuchasusual，"saidRamage。"Shefindslyingupsomuchveryirksome。But，yousee，sheHAStolieup。"

Thetopicofhisinvalidwifeboredhim，andheturnedatoncetoAnnVeronica。"AndwhereareYOUgoing？"hesaid。"Areyougoingonagainthiswinterwiththatscientificworkofyours？

It’saninstanceofheredity，Isuppose。"ForamomentMr。

StanleyalmostlikedRamage。"You’reabiologist，aren’tyou？"

Hebegantotalkofhisownimpressionsofbiologyasacommonplacemagazinereaderwhohadtogetwhathecouldfromthemonthlyreviews，andwasgladtomeetwithanyinformationfromnearerthefountainhead。Inalittlewhileheandsheweretalkingquiteeasilyandagreeably。Theywentontalkinginthetrain——itseemedtoherfatheraslightwantofdeferencetohim——andhelistenedandpretendedtoreadtheTimes。HewasstruckdisagreeablybyRamage’sairofgallantconsiderationandAnnVeronica’sself-possessedanswers。Thesethingsdidnotharmonizewithhisconceptionoftheforthcoming(ifunavoidable)

interview。Afterall，itcametohimsuddenlyasaharshdiscoverythatshemightbeinasenseregardedasgrownup。Hewasamanwhoinallthingsclassifiedwithoutnuance，andforhimtherewereinthematterofagejusttwofeminineclassesandnomore——girlsandwomen。Thedistinctionlaychieflyintherighttopattheirheads。Butherewasagirl——shemustbeagirl，sinceshewashisdaughterandpat-able——imitatingthewomanquiteremarkablyandcleverly。Heresumedhislistening。

Shewasdiscussingoneofthosemodernadvancedplayswitharemarkable，withanextraordinary，confidence。

"Hislove-making，"sheremarked，"struckmeasunconvincing。Heseemedtoonoisy。"

Thefullsignificanceofherwordsdidnotinstantlyappeartohim。Thenitdawned。Goodheavens！Shewasdiscussinglove-making。Foratimeheheardnomore，andstaredwithstonyeyesataBook-WarproclamationinleadedtypethatfilledhalfacolumnoftheTimesthatday。Couldsheunderstandwhatshewastalkingabout？Luckilyitwasasecond-classcarriageandtheordinaryfellow-travellerswerenotthere。Everybody，hefelt，mustbelisteningbehindtheirpapers。

Ofcourse，girlsrepeatphrasesandopinionsofwhichtheycannotpossiblyunderstandthemeaning。Butamiddle-agedmanlikeRamageoughttoknowbetterthantodrawoutagirl，thedaughterofafriendandneighbor……

Well，afterall，heseemedtobeturningthesubject。"Broddickisaheavyman，"hewassaying，"andthemaininterestoftheplaywastheembezzlement。"ThankHeaven！Mr。Stanleyallowedhispapertodropalittle，andscrutinizedthehatsandbrowsoftheirthreefellow-travellers。

TheyreachedWimbledon，andRamagewhippedouttohandMissStanleytotheplatformasthoughshehadbeenaduchess，andshedescendedasthoughsuchattentionsfrommiddle-aged，butstillgallant，merchantswereamatterofcourse。Then，asRamagereadjustedhimselfinacorner，heremarked:"Theseyoungpeopleshootup，Stanley。ItseemsonlyyesterdaythatshewasrunningdowntheAvenue，allhairandlegs。"

Mr。Stanleyregardedhimthroughhisglasseswithsomethingapproachinganimosity。

"Nowshe’sallhatandideas，"hesaid，withanairofhumor。

"Sheseemsanunusuallyclevergirl，"saidRamage。

Mr。Stanleyregardedhisneighbor’sclean-shavenfacealmostwarily。"I’mnotsurewhetherwedon’tratheroverdoallthishighereducation，"hesaid，withaneffectofconveyingprofoundmeanings。

Part6

Hebecamequitesure，byasortofaccumulationofreflection，asthedayworeon。Hefoundhisyoungestdaughterintrusiveinhisthoughtsallthroughthemorning，andstillmoresointheafternoon。Hesawheryoungandgracefulbackasshedescendedfromthecarriage，severelyignoringhim，andrecalledaglimpsehehadofherface，brightandserene，ashistrainranoutofWimbledon。Herecalledwithexasperatingperplexityherclear，matter-of-facttoneasshetalkedaboutlove-makingbeingunconvincing。Hewasreallyveryproudofher，andextraordinarilyangryandresentfulattheinnocentandaudaciousself-reliancethatseemedtointimatehersenseofabsoluteindependenceofhim，herabsolutesecuritywithouthim。Afterall，sheonlyLOOKEDawoman。Shewasrashandignorant，absolutelyinexperienced。Absolutely。Hebegantothinkofspeeches，veryfirm，explicitspeeches，hewouldmake。

HelunchedintheLegalClubinChanceryLane，andmetOgilvy。

Daughterswereintheairthatday。Ogilvywasfullofaclient’stroubleinthatmatter，agraveandeventragictrouble。Hetoldsomeoftheparticulars。

"Curiouscase，"saidOgilvy，butteringhisbreadandcuttingitupinawayhehad。"Curiouscase——andsetsonethinking。"

Heresumed，afteramouthful:"Hereisagirlofsixteenorseventeen，seventeenandahalftobeexact，runningabout，asonemightsay，inLondon。Schoolgirl。HerfamilyaresolidWestEndpeople，Kensingtonpeople。Father——dead。Shegoesoutandcomeshome。AfterwardgoesontoOxford。Twenty-one，twenty-two。

Whydoesn’tshemarry？Plentyofmoneyunderherfather’swill。

Charminggirl。"

HeconsumedIrishstewforsomemoments。

"Marriedalready，"hesaid，withhismouthfull。"Shopman。"

"GoodGod！"saidMr。Stanley。

"Good-lookingrascalshemetatWorthing。Veryromanticandallthat。Hefixedit。"

"But——"

"Heleftheralone。Pureromanticnonsenseonherpart。Sheercalculationonhis。WentuptoSomersetHousetoexaminethewillbeforehedidit。Yes。Niceposition。"

"Shedoesn’tcareforhimnow？"

"Notabit。Whatagirlofsixteencaresforishairandahighcolorandmoonlightandatenorvoice。Isupposemostofourdaughterswouldmarryorgan-grindersiftheyhadachance——atthatage。Mysonwantedtomarryawomanofthirtyinatobacconist’sshop。Onlyason’sanotherstory。Wefixedthat。

Well，that’sthesituation。Mypeopledon’tknowwhattodo。

Can’tfaceascandal。Can’taskthegenttogoabroadandcondoneabigamy。Hemisstatedherageandaddress；butyoucan’tgethomeonhimforathinglikethat……Thereyouare！Girlspoiltforlife。MakesonewanttogobacktotheOrientalsystem！"

Mr。Stanleypouredwine。"DamnedRascal！"hesaid。"Isn’tthereabrothertokickhim？"

"Meresatisfaction，"reflectedOgilvy。"Meresensuality。I

ratherthinktheyhavekickedhim，fromthetoneofsomeoftheletters。Nice，ofcourse。Butitdoesn’talterthesituation。"

"It’stheseRascals，"saidMr。Stanley，andpaused。

"Alwayshasbeen，"saidOgilvy。"Ourinterestliesinheadingthemoff。"

"Therewasatimewhengirlsdidn’tgettheseextravagantideas。"

"LydiaLanguish，forexample。Anyhow，theydidn’trunaboutsomuch。"

"Yes。That’saboutthebeginning。It’sthesedamnednovels。Allthistorrentofmisleading，spuriousstuffthatpoursfromthepress。Theseshamidealsandadvancednotions。WomenwhoDids，andallthatkindofthing……"

Ogilvyreflected。"Thisgirl——she’sreallyaverycharming，frankperson——hadhadherimaginationfired，soshetoldme，byaschoolperformanceofRomeoandJuliet。"

Mr。Stanleydecidedtotreatthatasirrelevant。"ThereoughttobeaCensorshipofBooks。Wewantitbadlyatthepresenttime。

EvenWITHtheCensorshipofPlaysthere’shardlyadecentthingtowhichamancantakehiswifeanddaughters，acreepingtaintofsuggestioneverywhere。Whatwoulditbewithoutthatsafeguard？"

Ogilvypursuedhisowntopic。"I’minclinedtothink，Stanley，myselfthatasamatteroffactitwastheexpurgatedRomeoandJulietdidthemischief。Ifouryoungpersonhadn’thadthenursepartcutout，eh？Shemighthaveknownmoreanddoneless。

Iwascuriousaboutthat。Alltheyleftitwasthemoonandstars。Andthebalconyand’MyRomeo！’"

"Shakespeareisaltogetherdifferentfromthemodernstuff。

Altogetherdifferent。I’mnotdiscussingShakespeare。Idon’twanttoBowdlerizeShakespeare。I’mnotthatsortIquiteagree。

Butthismodernmiasma——"

Mr。Stanleytookmustardsavagely。

"Well，wewon’tgointoShakespeare，"saidOgilvy"Whatinterestsmeisthatouryoungwomennowadaysarerunningaboutasfreeasairpractically，withregistryofficesandallsortsofaccommodationroundthecorner。Nothingtochecktheirproceedingsbutadeclininghabitoftellingthetruthandthelimitationsoftheirimaginations。Andinthatrespecttheystiruponeanother。Notmyaffair，ofcourse，butIthinkweoughttoteachthemmoreorrestrainthemmore。Oneortheother。

They’retoofreefortheirinnocenceortooinnocentfortheirfreedom。That’smypoint。Areyougoingtohaveanyapple-tart，Stanley？Theapple-tart’sbeenverygoodlately——verygood！"

Part7

AttheendofdinnerthateveningAnnVeronicabegan:"Father！"

Herfatherlookedatheroverhisglassesandspokewithgravedeliberation；"Ifthereisanythingyouwanttosaytome，"hesaid，"youmustsayitinthestudy。Iamgoingtosmokealittlehere，andthenIshallgotothestudy。Idon’tseewhatyoucanhavetosay。Ishouldhavethoughtmynoteclearedupeverything。TherearesomepapersIhavetolookthroughto-night——importantpapers。"

"Iwon’tkeepyouverylong，daddy，"saidAnnVeronica。

"Idon’tsee，Mollie，"heremarked，takingacigarfromtheboxonthetableashissisteranddaughterrose，"whyyouandVeeshouldn’tdiscussthislittleaffair——whateveritis——withoutbotheringme。"

Itwasthefirsttimethiscontroversyhadbecometriangular，forallthreeofthemwereshybyhabit。

Hestoppedinmid-sentence，andAnnVeronicaopenedthedoorforheraunt。Theairwasthickwithfeelings。Herauntwentoutoftheroomwithdignityandarustle，andup-stairstothefastnessofherownroom。Sheagreedentirelywithherbrother。Itdistressedandconfusedherthatthegirlshouldnotcometoher。

Itseemedtoshowawantofaffection，tobeadeliberateandunmeriteddisregard，tojustifythereprisalofbeinghurt。

WhenAnnVeronicacameintothestudyshefoundeveryevidenceofacarefullyforeseengroupingaboutthegasfire。Botharm-chairshadbeenmovedalittlesoastofaceeachotheroneithersideofthefender，andinthecircularglowofthegreen-shadedlamptherelay，conspicuouslywaiting，athickbundleofblueandwhitepaperstiedwithpinktape。Herfatherheldsomeprinteddocumentinhishand，andappearednottoobserveherentry。"Sitdown，"hesaid，andperused——"perused"

isthewordforit——forsomemoments。Thenheputthepaperby。

"Andwhatisitallabout，Veronica？"heasked，withadeliberatenoteofirony，lookingatheralittlequizzicallyoverhisglasses。

AnnVeronicalookedbrightandalittleelated，andshedisregardedherfather’sinvitationtobeseated。Shestoodonthematinstead，andlookeddownonhim。"Lookhere，daddy，"shesaid，inatoneofgreatreasonableness，"IMUSTgotothatdance，youknow。"

Herfather’sironydeepened。"Why？"heasked，suavely。

Heranswerwasnotquiteready。"Well，becauseIdon’tseeanyreasonwhyIshouldn’t。"

"YouseeIdo。"

"Whyshouldn’tIgo？"

"Itisn’tasuitableplace；itisn’tasuitablegathering。"

"But，daddy，whatdoyouknowoftheplaceandthegathering？"

"Andit’sentirelyoutoforder；itisn’tright，itisn’tcorrect；it’simpossibleforyoutostayinanhotelinLondon——theideaispreposterous。Ican’timaginewhatpossessedyou，Veronica。"

Heputhisheadononeside，pulleddownthecornersofhismouth，andlookedatheroverhisglasses。

"Butwhyisitpreposterous？"askedAnnVeronica，andfiddledwithapipeonthemantel。

"Surely！"heremarked，withanexpressionofworriedappeal。

"Yousee，daddy，Idon’tthinkitISpreposterous。That’sreallywhatIwanttodiscuss。Itcomestothis——amItobetrustedtotakecareofmyself，oramInot？"

"Tojudgefromthisproposalofyours，Ishouldsaynot。"

"IthinkIam。"

"Aslongasyouremainundermyroof——"hebegan，andpaused。

"YouaregoingtotreatmeasthoughIwasn’t。Well，Idon’tthinkthat’sfair。"

"Yourideasoffairness——"heremarked，anddiscontinuedthatsentence。"Mydeargirl，"hesaid，inatoneofpatientreasonableness，"youareamerechild。Youknownothingoflife，nothingofitsdangers，nothingofitspossibilities。Youthinkeverythingisharmlessandsimple，andsoforth。Itisn’t。Itisn’t。That’swhereyougowrong。Insomethings，inmanythings，youmusttrusttoyourelders，tothosewhoknowmoreoflifethanyoudo。YourauntandIhavediscussedallthismatter。Thereitis。Youcan’tgo。"

Theconversationhungforamoment。AnnVeronicatriedtokeepholdofacomplicatedsituationandnotloseherhead。Shehadturnedroundsideways，soastolookdownintothefire。

"Yousee，father，"shesaid，"itisn’tonlythisaffairofthedance。Iwanttogotothatbecauseit’sanewexperience，becauseIthinkitwillbeinterestingandgivemeaviewofthings。YousayIknownothing。That’sprobablytrue。ButhowamItoknowofthings？"

"SomethingsIhopeyoumayneverknow，"hesaid。

"I’mnotsosure。Iwanttoknow——justasmuchasIcan。"

"Tut！"hesaid，fuming，andputouthishandtothepapersinthepinktape。

"Well，Ido。It’sjustthatIwanttosay。Iwanttobeahumanbeing；Iwanttolearnaboutthingsandknowaboutthings，andnottobeprotectedassomethingtoopreciousforlife，coopedupinonenarrowlittlecorner。"

"Coopedup！"hecried。"DidIstandinthewayofyourgoingtocollege？HaveIeverpreventedyougoingaboutatanyreasonablehour？You’vegotabicycle！"

"H’m！"saidAnnVeronica，andthenwenton"Iwanttobetakenseriously。Agirl——atmyage——isgrown-up。IwanttogoonwithmyUniversityworkunderproperconditions，nowthatI’vedonetheIntermediate。Itisn’tasthoughIhaven’tdonewell。I’venevermuffedanexam。yet。Roddymuffedtwo……"

Herfatherinterrupted。"Nowlookhere，Veronica，letusbeplainwitheachother。YouarenotgoingtothatinfidelRussell’sclasses。YouarenotgoinganywherebuttotheTredgoldCollege。I’vethoughtthatout，andyoumustmakeupyourmindtoit。Allsortsofconsiderationscomein。Whileyouliveinmyhouseyoumustfollowmyideas。Youarewrongevenaboutthatman’sscientificpositionandhisstandardofwork。

TherearemenintheLowndeanwholaughathim——simplylaughathim。AndIhaveseenworkbyhispupilsmyselfthatstruckmeasbeing——well，nextdoortoshameful。There’sstories，too，abouthisdemonstrator，CapesSomethingorother。Thekindofmanwhoisn’tcontentwithhisscience，andwritesarticlesinthemonthlyreviews。Anyhow，thereitis:YOUARENOTGOINGTHERE。"

Thegirlreceivedthisintimationinsilence。butthefacethatlookeddownuponthegasfiretookanexpressionofobstinacythatbroughtoutahithertolatentresemblancebetweenparentandchild。Whenshespoke，herlipstwitched。

"ThenIsupposewhenIhavegraduatedIamtocomehome？"

"Itseemsthenaturalcourse"

"Anddonothing？"

"Thereareplentyofthingsagirlcanfindtodoathome。"

"Untilsomeonetakespityonmeandmarriesme？"

Heraisedhiseyebrowsinmildappeal。Hisfoottappedimpatiently，andhetookupthepapers。

"Lookhere，father，"shesaid，withachangeinhervoice，"supposeIwon’tstandit？"

Heregardedherasthoughthiswasanewidea。

"Suppose，forexample，Igotothisdance？"

"Youwon’t。"

"Well"——herbreathfailedherforamoment。"Howwouldyoupreventit？"sheasked。

"ButIhaveforbiddenit！"hesaid，raisinghisvoice。

"Yes，Iknow。ButsupposeIgo？"

"Now，Veronica！No，no。Thiswon’tdo。Understandme！I

forbidit。Idonotwanttohearfromyoueventhethreatofdisobedience。"Hespokeloudly。"Thethingisforbidden！"

"Iamreadytogiveupanythingthatyoushowtobewrong。"

"YouwillgiveupanythingIwishyoutogiveup。"

Theystaredateachotherthroughapause，andbothfaceswereflushedandobstinate。

Shewastryingbysomewonderful，secret，andmotionlessgymnasticstorestrainhertears。Butwhenshespokeherlipsquivered，andtheycame。"Imeantogotothatdance！"sheblubbered。"Imeantogotothatdance！Imeanttoreasonwithyou，butyouwon’treason。You’redogmatic。"

Atthesightofhertearshisexpressionchangedtoaminglingoftriumphandconcern。Hestoodup，apparentlyintendingtoputanarmabouther，butshesteppedbackfromhimquickly。Sheproducedahandkerchief，andwithonesweepofthisandasimultaneousgulphadabolishedherfitofweeping。Hisvoicenowhadlostitsironies。

"Now，Veronica，"hepleaded，"Veronica，thisismostunreasonable。Allwedoisforyourgood。NeitheryourauntnorIhaveanyotherthoughtbutwhatisbestforyou。"

"Onlyyouwon’tletmelive。Onlyyouwon’tletmeexist！"

Mr。Stanleylostpatience。Hebulliedfrankly。

"Whatnonsenseisthis？Whatraving！Mydearchild，youDO

live，youDOexist！Youhavethishome。Youhavefriends，acquaintances，socialstanding，brothersandsisters，everyadvantage！Insteadofwhich，youwanttogotosomemixedclassesorotherandcutuprabbitsanddanceaboutatnightsinwildcostumeswithcasualartstudentfriendsandGodknowswho。

That——thatisn’tliving！Youarebesideyourself。Youdon’tknowwhatyouasknorwhatyousay。Youhaveneitherreasonnorlogic。Iamsorrytoseemtohurtyou，butallIsayisforyourgood。YouMUSTnot，youSHALLnotgo。OnthisIamresolved。I

putmyfootdownlike——likeadamant。Andatimewillcome，Veronica，markmywords，atimewillcomewhenyouwillblessmeformyfirmnessto-night。Itgoestomyhearttodisappointyou，butthisthingmustnotbe。"

Hesidledtowardher，butsherecoiledfromhim，leavinghiminpossessionofthehearth-rug。

"Well，"shesaid，"good-night，father。"

"What！"heasked；"notakiss？"

Sheaffectednottohear。

Thedoorclosedsoftlyuponher。Foralongtimeheremainedstandingbeforethefire，staringatthesituation。Thenhesatdownandfilledhispipeslowlyandthoughtfully……

"Idon’tseewhatelseIcouldhavesaid，"heremarked。

CHAPTERTHESECOND

ANNVERONICAGATHERSPOINTSOFVIEW

Part1

"AreyoucomingtotheFaddenDance，AnnVeronica？"askedConstanceWidgett。

AnnVeronicaconsideredheranswer。"Imeanto，"shereplied。

"Youaremakingyourdress？"

"Suchasitis。"

TheywereintheelderWidgettgirl’sbedroom；Hettywaslaidup，shesaid，withasprainedankle，andamiscellaneouspartywasgossipingawayhertedium。Itwasalarge，littered，self-forgetfulapartment，decoratedwithunframedcharcoalsketchesbyvariousincipientmasters；andanopenbookcase，surmountedbyplastercastsandthehalfofahumanskull，displayedanoddmiscellanyofbooks——ShawandSwinburne，TomJones，FabianEssays，PopeandDumas，cheekbyjowl。ConstanceWidgett’sabundantcopper-redhairwasbentdownoversomedimlyremunerativework——stencillingincolorsuponrough，whitematerial——atakitchentableshehaddraggedup-stairsforthepurpose，whileonherbedtherewasseatedaslenderladyofthirtyorsoinadingygreendress，whomConstancehadintroducedwithawaveofherhandasMissMiniver。MissMiniverlookedoutontheworldthroughlargeemotionalblueeyesthatwerefurthermagnifiedbytheglassesshewore，andhernosewaspinchedandpink，andhermouthwaswhimsicallypetulant。Herglassesmovedquicklyasherglancetravelledfromfacetoface。

Sheseemedburstingwiththedesiretotalk，andwatchingforheropportunity。Onherlapelwasanivorybutton，bearingthewords"VotesforWomen。"AnnVeronicasatatthefootofthesufferer’sbed，whileTeddyWidgett，beingsomethingofanathlete，occupiedtheonlybed-roomchair——adecadentpiece，essentiallyatripodandlargelyaformality——andsmokedcigarettes，andtriedtoconcealthefactthathewaslookingallthetimeatAnnVeronica’seyebrows。TeddywasthehatlessyoungmanwhohadturnedAnnVeronicaasidefromtheAvenuetwodaysbefore。Hewasthejuniorofbothhissisters，co-educatedandmuchbrokenintofemininesociety。Abowlofroses，justbroughtbyAnnVeronica，adornedthecommunaldressing-table，andAnnVeronicawasparticularlytriminpreparationforacallshewastomakewithherauntlaterintheafternoon。

AnnVeronicadecidedtobemoreexplicit。"I’vebeen，"shesaid，"forbiddentocome。"

"Hul-LO！"saidHetty，turningherheadonthepillow；andTeddyremarkedwithprofoundemotion，"MyGod！"

"Yes，"saidAnnVeronica，"andthatcomplicatesthesituation。"

"Auntie？"askedConstance，whowasconversantwithAnnVeronica’saffairs。

"No！Myfather。It’s——it’saseriousprohibition。"

"Why？"askedHetty。

"That’sthepoint。Iaskedhimwhy，andhehadn’tareason。"

"YOUASKEDYOURFATHERFORAREASON！"saidMissMiniver，withgreatintensity。

"Yes。Itriedtohaveitoutwithhim，buthewouldn’thaveitout。"AnnVeronicareflectedforaninstant"That’swhyIthinkIoughttocome。"

"Youaskedyourfatherforareason！"MissMiniverrepeated。

"WealwayshavethingsoutwithOURfather，poordear！"saidHetty。"He’sgotalmosttolikeit。"

"Men，"saidMissMiniver，"NEVERhaveareason。Never！Andtheydon’tknowit！Theyhavenoideaofit。It’soneoftheirworsttraits，oneoftheirveryworst。"

"ButIsay，Vee，"saidConstance，"ifyoucomeandyouareforbiddentocomethere’llbethedeuceofarow。"

AnnVeronicawasdecidingforfurtherconfidences。Hersituationwasperplexingherverymuch，andtheWidgettatmospherewaslaxandsympathetic，andprovocativeofdiscussion。"Itisn’tonlythedance，"shesaid。

"There’stheclasses，"saidConstance，thewell-informed。

"There’sthewholesituation。ApparentlyI’mnottoexistyet。

I’mnottostudy，I’mnottogrow。I’vegottostayathomeandremaininastateofsuspendedanimation。"

"DUSTING！"saidMissMiniver，inasepulchralvoice。

"Untilyoumarry，Vee，"saidHetty。

"Well，Idon’tfeellikestandingit。"

"Thousandsofwomenhavemarriedmerelyforfreedom，"saidMissMiniver。"Thousands！Ugh！Andfounditaworseslavery。"

"Isuppose，"saidConstance，stencillingawayatbrightpinkpetals，"it’sourlot。Butit’sverybeastly。"

"What’sourlot？"askedhersister。

"Slavery！Downtroddenness！WhenIthinkofitIfeelalloverbootmarks——men’sboots。Wehideitbravely，butsoitis。

Damn！I’vesplashed。"

MissMiniver’smannerbecameimpressive。SheaddressedAnnVeronicawithanairofconveyinggreatopensecretstoher。"Asthingsareatpresent，"shesaid，"itistrue。Weliveunderman-madeinstitutions，andthatiswhattheyamountto。Everygirlintheworldpractically，exceptafewofuswhoteachortype-write，andthenwe’reunderpaidandsweated——it’sdreadfultothinkhowwearesweated！"Shehadlosthergeneralization，whateveritwas。Shehungforamoment，andthenwenton，conclusively，"UntilwehavethevotethatishowthingsWILL

be。"

"I’mallforthevote，"saidTeddy。

"IsupposeagirlMUSTbeunderpaidandsweated，"saidAnnVeronica。"Isupposethere’snowayofgettingadecentincome——independently。"

"WomenhavepracticallyNOeconomicfreedom，"saidMissMiniver，"becausetheyhavenopoliticalfreedom。Menhaveseentothat。

Theoneprofession，theonedecentprofession，Imean，forawoman——exceptthestage——isteaching，andtherewetrampleononeanother。Everywhereelse——thelaw，medicine，theStockExchange——prejudicebarsus。"

"There’sart，"saidAnnVeronica，"andwriting。"

"Everyonehasn’ttheGift。Eventhereawomannevergetsafairchance。Menareagainsther。Whatevershedoesisminimized。

Allthebestnovelshavebeenwrittenbywomen，andyetseehowmensneerattheladynoveliststill！There’sonlyonewaytogetonforawoman，andthatistopleasemen。Thatiswhattheythinkwearefor！"

"We’rebeasts，"saidTeddy。"Beasts！"

ButMissMinivertooknonoticeofhisadmission。

"Ofcourse，"saidMissMiniver——shewentoninaregularlyundulatingvoice——"weDOpleasemen。Wehavethatgift。Wecanseeroundthemandbehindthemandthroughthem，andmostofususethatknowledge，inthesilentwaywehave，forourgreatends。Notallofus，butsomeofus。Toomany。Iwonderwhatmenwouldsayifwethrewthemaskaside——ifwereallytoldthemwhatWEthoughtofthem，reallyshowedthemwhatWEwere。"A

flushofexcitementcreptintohercheeks。

"Maternity，"shesaid，"hasbeenourundoing。"

Fromthatsheopenedoutintoalong，confusedemphaticdiscourseonthepositionofwomen，fullofwonderfulstatements，whileConstanceworkedatherstencillingandAnnVeronicaandHettylistened，andTeddycontributedsympatheticnoisesandconsumedcheapcigarettes。Asshetalkedshemadeweaklittlegestureswithherhands，andshethrustherfaceforwardfromherbentshoulders；andshepeeredsometimesatAnnVeronicaandsometimesataphotographoftheAxenstrasse，nearFluelen，thathunguponthewall。AnnVeronicawatchedherface，vaguelysympathizingwithher，vaguelydislikingherphysicalinsufficiencyandherconvulsivemovements，andthefineeyebrowswereknitwithafaintperplexity。Essentiallythetalkwasamixtureoffragmentsofsentencesheard，ofpassagesread，orargumentsindicatedratherthanstated，andallofitwasservedinasauceofstrangeenthusiasm，thinyetintense。AnnVeronicahadhadsometrainingattheTredgoldCollegeindisentanglingthreadsfromconfusedstatements，andshehadacuriouspersuasionthatinallthisfluentmuddletherewassomething——somethingreal，somethingthatsignified。Butitwasveryhardtofollow。Shedidnotunderstandthenoteofhostilitytomenthatranthroughitall，thebittervindictivenessthatlitMissMiniver’scheeksandeyes，thesenseofsomeatlastinsupportablewrongslowlyaccumulated。Shehadnoinklingofthatinsupportablewrong。

"Wearethespecies，"saidMissMiniver，"menareonlyincidents。

Theygivethemselvesairs，butsoitis。Inallthespeciesofanimalsthefemalesaremoreimportantthanthemales；themaleshavetopleasethem。Lookatthecock’sfeathers，lookatthecompetitionthereiseverywhere，exceptamonghumans。Thestagsandoxenandthingsallhavetofightforus，everywhere。Onlyinmanisthemalemadethemostimportant。Andthathappensthroughourmaternity；it’sourveryimportancethatdegradesus。

Whileweweremindingthechildrentheystoleourrightsandliberties。Thechildrenmadeusslaves，andthementookadvantageofit。It’s——Mrs。Shalfordsays——theaccidentalconqueringtheessential。Originallyinthefirstanimalstherewerenomales，noneatall。Ithasbeenproved。Thentheyappearamongthelowerthings"——shemademeticulousgesturestofigurethescaleoflife；sheseemedtobeholdingupspecimens，andpeeringthroughherglassesatthem——"amongcrustaceansandthings，justaslittlecreatures，eversoinferiortothefemales。Merehangerson。Thingsyouwouldlaughat。Andamonghumanbeings，too，womentobeginwithweretherulersandleaders；theyownedalltheproperty，theyinventedallthearts。