evenness of tone which she liked to listen to, and felt that it made
her quiet and "good," almost like Johanna's.

"You see, my dear," said Miss Balquidder, "when one has no duties,
one must just make them; when we have nobody to care for us, we must
take to caring for every body. I suppose"--here a slight pause
indicated that this life, like all women's lives, had had its tale,
now long, long told--"I suppose I was not meant to be a wife; but I
am quite certain I was meant to be a mother. And"--with her peculiar,
bright, humorous look--"you'd be astonished, Miss Leaf, if you knew
what lots of 'children' I have in all parts of the world."

Miss Balquidder then went on to explain, that finding, from her own
experience, how great was the number, and how sore the trial of young
women who nowadays are obliged to work--obliged to forget that there
is such a thing as the blessed privilege of being worked for--she had
set herself, in her small way, to try and help them. Her pet project
was to induce educated women to quit the genteel starvation of
governesships for some good trade thereby bringing higher
intelligence into a class which needed, not the elevation of the work
itself, which was comparatively easy and refined, but of the workers.
She had therefore invested sum after sum of her capital in setting up
various small shops in the environs of London, in her own former
line, and others--stationers, lace-shops, etc.--trades which could be
well carried on by women.--Into the management of these she put as
many young girls as she could find really fitted for it, or willing
to learn, paying them regular salaries, large or small, according to
their deserts.

"Fair work, fair pay; not one penny more or less; I never do it; it