‘‘Absolute　rest　for　two　months；''　declared　Jennings　grimly。　　‘‘Not　a　note　until　I　return　in　August。''
  Mildred　gave　a　resigned　sigh。
  There　is　much　inveighing　against　hypocrisy；　a　vice　unsightly　rather　than　desperately　wicked。　　And　in　the　excitement　about　it　its　dangerous；　even　deadly　near　kinsman；　self…deception；　escapes　unassailed。　　Seven　cardinal　sins；　but　what　of　the　eighth？the　parent　of　all　the　others；　the　one　beside　which　the　children　seem　almost　white？
  During　the　first　few　weeks　Mildred　had　been　careful　about　spending　money。　　Economy　she　did　not　understand；　how　could　she；　when　she　had　never　had　a　lesson　in　it　or　a　valuable　hint　about　it？　　So　economy　was　impossible。　　The　only　way　in　which　such　people　can　keep　order　in　their　finances　is　by　not　spending　any　money　at　all。　　Mildred　drew　nothing；　spent　nothing。　This；　so　long　as　she　gave　her　whole　mind　to　her　work。　But　after　the　first　great　cold；　so　depressing；　so　subtly　undermining；　she　began　to　go　about；　to　think　of；　to　need　and　to　buy　clothes；　to　spend　money　in　a　dozen　necessary　ways。　　After　all；　she　was　simply　borrowing　the　money。　　Presently；　she　would　be　making　a　career；　would　be　earning　large　sums。　　She　would　pay　back　everything；　with　interest。　　Stanley　meant　for　her　to　use　the　money。　　Really；　she　ought　to　use　it。　　How　would　her　career　be　helped　by　her　going　about　looking　a　dowd　and　a　frump？　　She　had　always　been　used　to　the　comforts　of　life。　　If　she　deprived　herself　of　them；　she　would　surely　get　into　a　frame　of　mind　where　her　work　would　suffer。　　No；　she　must　lead　the　normal　life　of　a　woman　of　her　class。　　To　work　all　the　timewhy；　as　Jennings　said；　that　took　away　all　the　freshness；　made　one　stale　and　unfit。　　A　little　distractionalways；　of　course；　with　musical　people；　people　who　talked　and　thought　and　did　musicthat　sort　of　distraction　was　quite　as　much　a　part　of　her　education　as　the　singing　lessons。　　Mrs。　Brindley；　certainly　a　sensible　and　serious　woman　if　ever　there　was　oneMrs。　Brindley　believed　so；　and　it　must　be　so。
  After　that　illness　and　before　she　began　to　go　about；　she　had　fallen　into　several　fits　of　hideous　blues；　had　been　in　despair　as　to　the　future。　　As　soon　as　she　saw　something　of　peoplealways　the　valuable；　musical　sort　of　peopleher　spirits　improved。　　And　when　she　got　a　few　new　dressesvery　simple　and　inexpensive；　but　stylish　and　charmingand　the　hats；　too；　were　successful　as　soon　as　she　was　freshly　arrayed　she　was　singing　better　and　was　talking　hopefully　of　the　career　again。　　Yes；　it　was　really　necessary　that　she　live　as　she　had　always　been　used　to　living。
  When　Stanley　came　back　her　account　was　drawn　up　to　the　last　cent　of　the　proportionate　amount。　　In　fact；　it　might　have　been　a　few　dollarsa　hundred　or　so　overdrawn。　　She　was　not　sure。　　Still；　that　was　a　small　matter。　　During　the　summer　she　would　spend　less；　and　by　fall　she　would　be　far　ahead　againand　ready　to　buy　fall　clothes。　　One　day　he　said：
  ‘‘You　must　be　needing　more　money。''
  ‘‘No　indeed；''　cried　she。　　‘‘I've　been　living　within　the　hundred　a　weekor　nearly。　　I'm　afraid　I'm　frightfully　extravagant；　and''
  ‘‘Extravagant？''　laughed　he。　　‘‘You　are　afraid　to　borrow！　　Why；　three　or　four　nights　of　singing　will　pay　back　all　you've　borrowed。''
  ‘‘I　suppose　I　WILL　make　a　lot　of　money；''　said　she。　‘‘They　all　tell　me　so。　　But　it　doesn't　seem　real　to　me。''　She　hastily　added：　　‘‘I　don't　mean　the　career。　　That　seems　real　enough。　　I　can　hardly　wait　to　begin　at　the　roles。　　I　mean　the　money　part。　　You　see；　I　never　earned　any　money　and　never　really　had　any　money　of　my　own。''
  ‘‘Well；　you'll　have　plenty　of　it　in　two　or　three　years；''　said　Stanley；　confidently。　　‘‘And　you　mustn't　try　to　live　like　girls　who've　been　brought　up　to　hardship。　　It　isn't　necessary；　and　it　would　only　unfit　you　for　your　work。''
  ‘‘I　think　that's　true；''　said　she。　　‘‘But　I've　enough　more　than　enough。''　　She　gave　him　a　nervous；　shy；　almost　agonized　look。　　‘‘Please　don't　try　to　put　me　under　any　heavier　obligations　than　I　have　to　be。''
  ‘‘Please　don't　talk　nonsense　about　obligation；''　retorted　he。　　‘‘Let's　get　away　from　this　subject。　　You　don't　seem　to　realize　that　you're　doing　me　a　favor；　that　it's　a　privilege　to　be　allowed　to　help　develop　such　a　marvelous　voice　as　yours。　　Scores　of　people　would　jump　at　the　chance。''
  ‘‘That　doesn't　lessen　my　obligation；''　said　she。　　And　she　thought　she　meant　it；　though；　in　fact；　his　generous　and　plausible　statement　of　the　case　had　immediately　lessened　not　a　little　her　sense　of　obligation。
  On　the　whole；　however；　she　was　not　sorry　she　had　this　chance　to　talk　of　obligation。　　Slowly；　as　they　saw　each　other　from　time　to　time；　often　alone；　Stanley　had　begunperhaps　in　spite　of　himself　and　unconsciously　to　show　his　feeling　for　her。　　Sometimes　his　hand　accidentally　touched　hers；　and　he　did　not　draw　it　away　as　quickly　as　he　might。　　And　sheit　was　impossible　for　her　to　make　any　gesture；　much　less　say　anything；　that　suggested　sensitiveness　on　her　part。　　It　would　put　him　in　an　awkward　position；　would　humiliate　him　most　unjustly。　　He　fell　into　the　habit　of　holding　her　hand　longer　than　was　necessary　at　greeting　or　parting；　of　touching　her　caressingly；　of　looking　at　her　with　the　eyes　of　a　lover　instead　of　a　friend。　　She　did　not　like　these　things。　　For　some　mysterious　reasonfrom　sheer　perversity；　she　thoughtshe　had　taken　a　strong　physical　dislike　to　him。　　Perfectly　absurd；　for　there　was　nothing　intrinsically　repellent　about　this　handsome；　clean；　most　attractively　dressed　man；　of　the　best　type　of　American　and　New…Yorker。　　No；　only　perversity　could　explain　such　a　silly　notion。　　She　was　always　afraid　he　would　try　to　take　advantage　of　her　delicate　positionalways　afraid　she　would　have　to　yield　something；　some　trifle；　yet　the　idea　of　giving　anything　from　a　sense　of　obligation　was　galling　to　her。　　His　very　refraining　made　her　more　nervous；　the　more　shrinking。　If　he　would　only　commit　some　overt　actseize　her；　kiss　her；　make　outrageous　demandsbut　this　refrain…　ing；　these　touches　that　might　be　accidental　and　again　might　be　stealthy　approach　　She　hated　to　have　him　shake　hands　with　her；　would　have　liked　to　draw　away　when　his　clothing　chanced　to　brush　against　hers。
  So　she　was　glad　of　the　talk　about　obligation。　　It　set　him　at　a　distance；　immediately。　　He　ceased　to　look　lovingly；　to　indulge　in　the　nerve…rasping　little　caresses。　He　became　carefully　formal。　　He　was　evidently　eager　to　prove　the　sincerity　of　his　protestationstoo　eager　perhaps；　her　perverse　mind　suggested。　　Still；　sincere　or　not；　he　held　to　all　the　forms　of　sincerity。
  Some　friends　of　Mrs。　Brindley's　who　were　going　abroad　offered　her　their　cottage　on　the　New　Jersey　coast　near　Seabright；　and　a　big　new　touring…car　and　chauffeur。　　She　and　Mildred　at　once　gave　up　the　plan　for　a　summer　in　the　Adirondacks；　the　more　readily　as　several　of　the　men　and　women　they　saw　the　most　of　lived　within　easy　distance　of　them　at　Deal　Beach　and　Elberon。　　When　Mildred　went　shopping　she　was　lured　into　buying　a　lot　of　summer　things　she　would　not　have　needed　in　the　Adirondacksa　mere　matter　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　or　thereabouts。　　A　little　additional　economy　in　the　fall　would　soon　make　up　for　such　a　trifle；　and　if　there　is　one　time　more　than　another　when　a　woman　wishes　to　look　well　and　must　look　well；　that　time　is　summerespecially　by　the　sea。
  When　her　monthly　statement　from　the　bank　came　on　the　first　of　July　she　found　that　five　thousand　dollars　had　been　deposited　to　her　credit。　　She　was　moved　by　this　discovery　to　devote　several　hoursvery　depressed　hours　they　wereto　her　finances。　　She　had　spent　a　great　deal　more　money　than　she　had　thought；　indeed；　since　March　she　had　been　living　at　the　rate　of　fifteen　thousand　a　year。　　She　tried　to　account　for　this　amazing　extravagance。　　But　she　could　recall　no　expenditure　that　was　not　really　almost；　if　not　quite；　necessary。　　It　took　a　frightful　lot　of　money　to　live　in　New　York。　How　DID　people　with　small　incomes　manage　to　get　along？　Whatever　would　have　become　of　her　if　she　had　not　had　the　good　luck　to　be　able　to　borrow　from　Stanley？　　What　would　become　of　her　if；　before　she　was　succeeding　on　the　stage；　Stanley　should　die　or　lose　faith　in　her　or　interest　in　her？　　What　would　become　of　her！　　She　had　been　living　these　last　few　months　among　people　who　had　wide…open　eyes　and　knew　everything　that　was　going　onand　did　some　‘‘going…on''　themselves；　as　she　was　now　more　than　suspecting。　　There　were　many　women；　thousands　of　themamong　the　attractive；　costily　dressed　throngs　she　saw　in　the　carriages　and　autos　and　cabswho　would　not　like　to　have　it　published　how　they　contrived　to　live　so　luxuriously。　　No；　they　would　not　like　to　have　it　published；　though　they　cared　not　a　fig　for　its　being　whispered；　New　York　too　thoroughly　understood　how　necessary　luxurious　living　was；　and　was　too　completely　divested　of　the　follies　of　the　old…fashioned；　straight…laced　morality；　to　mind　little　shabby　details　of　queer　conduct　in　striving　to　keep　up　with　the　procession。　　Even　the　married　women；　using　their　husbandsand　letting　their　husbands　use　themdid　not　frown　on　the　irregularities　of　their　sisters　less　fortunately　married　or　not　able　to　find　a　permanent　‘‘leg　to　pull。''　　As　for　the　girlsMildred　had　observed　strange　things　in　the　lives　of　the　girls　she　knew　more　or　less　well　nowadays。　　In