ass without telling her openly that she was a beggar living off him； that she would better marry soon or he would take drastic steps to release himself of the burden。 When he attacked her before her mother； there was a violent quarrel from which Mildred fled to hide in her room or in the remotest part of the garden。 When he hunted her out to insult her alone； she sat or stood with eyes down and face ghastly pale； mute； quivering。 She did not inter… rupt； did not try to escape。 She was like the chained and spiritless dog that crouches and takes the shower of blows from its cruel master。
Where could she go？ Nowhere。 What could she do？ Nothing。 In the days of prosperity she had regarded herself as proud and high spirited。 She now wondered at herself！ What had become of the pride？ What of the spirit？ She avoided looking at her image in the glassthat thin； pallid face； those circled eyes； the drawn； sick expression about the mouth and nose。 ‘‘I'm stunned；'' she said to herself。 ‘‘I've been stunned ever since father's death。 I've never recoverednor has mother。'' And she gave way to tearsfor her father； she fancied； in fact； from shame at her weakness and helplessness。 She thoughthopedthat she would not be thus feeble and cowardly； if she were not living at home； in the house she loved； the house where she had spent her whole life。 And such a house！ Comfort and luxury and taste； every room； every corner of the grounds； full of the tenderest and most beautiful associations。 Also； there was her position in Hanging Rock。 Everywhere else she would be a stranger and would have either no position at all or one worse than that of the utter outsider。 There； she was of the few looked up to by the whole community。 No one knew； or even suspected； how she was degraded by her step… father。 Before the world he was courteous and considerate toward her as toward everybody。 Indeed； Presbury's natural instincts were gentle and kindly。 His hatred of Mildred and his passion for humiliating her were the result of his conviction that he had been tricked into the marriage and his inability to gratify his resentment upon his wife。 He could not make the mother suffer； but he could make the daughter sufferand he did。 Besides； she was of no use to him and would presently be an expense。
‘‘Your money will soon be gone；'' he said to her。 ‘‘If you paid your just share of the expenses it would be gone now。 When it is gone； what will you do？''
She was silent。
‘‘Your mother has written to your brother about you。''
Mildred lifted her head； a gleam of her former spirit in her eyes。 Then she remembered； and bent her gaze upon the ground。
‘‘But he； like the cur that he is； answered through a secretary that he wished to have nothing to do with either of you。''
Mildred guessed that Frank had made the marriage an excuse。
‘‘Surely some of your relatives will do something for you。 I have my hands full； supporting your mother。 I don't propose to have two strapping； worthless women hanging from my neck。''
She bent her head lower； and remained silent。
‘‘I warn you to bestir yourself；'' he went on。 ‘‘I give you four months。 After the first of the year you can't stay here unless you pay your shareyour third。''
No answer。
‘‘You hear what I say； miss？'' he demanded。
‘‘Yes；'' replied she。
‘‘If you had any sense you wouldn't wait until your last cent was gone。 You'd go to New York now and get something to do。''
‘‘What？'' she askedall she could trust herself to speak。
‘‘How should _I_ know？'' retorted he furiously。 ‘‘you are a stranger to me。 You've been educated； I assume。 Surely there's something you can do。 You've been out six years now； and have had no success； for you're neither married nor engaged。 You can't call it success to be flattered and sought by people who wanted invitations to this house when it was a social center。''
He paused for response from her。 None came。
‘‘You admit you are a failure？'' he said sharply。
‘‘Yes；'' said she。
‘‘You must have realized it several years ago；'' he went on。 ‘‘Instead of allowing your mother to keep on wasting money in entertaining lavishly here to give you a chance to marry； you should have been preparing yourself to earn a living。'' A pause。 ‘‘Isn't that true； miss？''
He had a way of pronouncing the word ‘‘miss'' that made it an epithet； a sneer at her unmarried and un… marriageable state。 She colored； paled； murmured：
‘‘Yes。''
‘‘Then； better late than never。 You'll do well to follow my advice and go to New York and look about you。''
‘‘I'llI'll think of it；'' stammered she。
And she did think of it。 But in all her life she had never considered the idea of money…making。 That was something for men； and for the middle and lower classes while Hanging Rock was regarded as most noisomely middle class by fashionable people； it did not so regard itself。 Money…making was not for ladies。 Like all her class； she was a constant and a severe critic of the women of the lower orders who worked for her as milliners； dressmakers； shop…attendants； cooks； maids。 But； as she now realized； it is one thing to pass upon the work of others； it is another thing to do work oneself。 She There was literally nothing that she could do。 Any occupation； even the most menial； was either beyond her skill or beyond her strength； or beyond both。
Suddenly she recalled that she could sing。 Her prostrate spirit suddenly leaped erect。 Yes； she could sing！ Her voice had been praised by experts。 Her singing had been in demand at charity entertainments where amateurs had to compete with professionals。 Then down she dropped again。 She sang well enough to know how badly she sangthe long and toilsome and expensive training that lay between her and operatic or concert or even music…hall stage。 Her voice was fine at times。 Againmost of the timeit was unreliable。 No； she could not hope to get paying employment even as a church choir…singer。 Miss Dresser who sang in the choir of the Good Shepherd for ten dollars a Sunday； had not nearly so good a voice as she； but it was reliable。
‘‘There is nothing I can donothing！''
All at once； with no apparent bridge across the vast chasm； her heart went out； not in pity but in human understanding and sisterly sympathy； to the women of the pariah class at whom； during her stops in New York； she had sometimes gazed in wonder and horror。 ‘‘Why； we and they are only a step apart；'' she said to herself in amazement。 ‘‘We and they are much nearer than my maid or the cook and they！''
And then her heart skipped a beat and her skin grew cold and a fog swirled over her brain。 If she should be cast outif she could find no work and no one to support herwould she ‘‘O my God！'' she moaned。 ‘‘I must be crazy； to think such thoughts。 I never could！ I'd die firstDIE！'' But if anyone had pictured to her the kind of life she was now leadingthe humiliation and degradation she was meekly enduring with no thought of flight； with an ever stronger desire to stay on； regardless of pride and self…respectif anyone had pictured this to her as what she would endure； what would she have said？ She could see herself flashing scornful denial； saying that she would rather kill herself。 Yet she was livingand was not even contemplating suicide as a way out！
A few days after Presbury gave her warning； her mother took advantage of his absence for his religiously observed daily constitutional to say to her：
‘‘I hope you didn't think I was behind him in what he said to you about going away？''
Mildred had not thought so； but in her mother's guilty tone and guiltier eyes she now read that her mother wished her to go。
‘‘It'd be awful for me to be left here alone with him；'' wailed her mother insincerely。 ‘‘Of course we've got no money； and beggars can't be choosers。 But it'd just about kill me to have you go。''
Mildred could not speak。
‘‘I don't know a thing about money；'' Mrs。 Presbury went on。 ‘‘Your father always looked after everything。'' She had fallen into the way of speaking of her first husband as part of some vague； remote past； which； indeed； he had become for her。 ‘‘This man'' meaning Presbury‘‘has only about five thousand a year； as you know。 I suppose that's as small as he says it is。 I remember our bills for one month used to be as much or more than that。'' She waved her useless； pretty hands helplessly。 ‘‘I don't see HOW we are to get on； Mildred！''
Her mother wished her to go！ Her mother had fallen under the influence of Presburyher mother； woman… like； or rather； ladylike； was of kin to the helpless； flabby things that float in the sea and attach themselves to whatever they happen to lodge against。 Her mother wished her to go！
‘‘At the same time；'' Mrs。 Presbury went on； ‘‘I can't live without somebody here to stand between me and him。 I'd kill him or kill myself。''
Mildred muttered some excuse and fled from the room； to lock herself in。
But when she came forth again to descend to dinner； she had resolved nothing； because there was nothing to resolve。 When she was a child she leaned from the nursery window one day and saw a stable…boy drowning a rat that was in a big； oval； wire cage with a wooden bottom。 The boy pressed the cage slowly down in the vat of water。 The rat； in the very top of the cage； watched the floor sink； watched the water rise。 And as it watched it uttered a strange； shrill； feeble sound which she could still remember distinctly and terribly。 It seemed to her now that if she were to utter any sound at all； it would be that one。
II
ON the Monday before Thanksgiving； Presbury went up to New York to look after one of the little speculations in Wall Street at which he was so clever。 Throughout the civilized world nowadays； and especially in and near the great capitals of finance； there is a class of men and women of small capital and of a character in which are combined iron self…restraint； rabbit…like timidity； and great shrewdness； who make often a not inconsiderable income by gambling in stocks。 They buy only when the market is advancing strongly； they sell as soon as they have gained the scantest margin of profit。 They never permit themselves to be tempted by the mos