others. In vain did Jenny give little gasps of annoyance, intended by
her humour to disperse the clouds. The gasps and exclamations were
unavailing. She was angry, chagrined, miserable. ...At last she could
bear the tension no longer, but threw down her work, rose, and walked
impatiently about the kitchen.

"Oh, _do_ shut up!" she cried to her insistent thoughts. "Enough to
drive anybody off their nut. And they're not worth it, either of them.
Em's as stupid as she can be, thinking about herself.... And as for
Alf--anybody'd think I'd tricked him. I haven't. I've gone out with him;
but what's that? Lots of girls go out with fellows for months, and
nobody expects them to marry. The girls may want it; but the fellows
don't. They don't want to get settled down. And I don't blame them. Why
is Alf different? I suppose it's me that's different. I'm not like other
girls...." That notion cheered her. "No: I'm not like other girls. I
want my bit of fun. I've never had any. And just because I don't want to
settle down and have a lot of kids that mess the place to bits, of
course I get hold of Alf! It's too bad! Why can't he choose the right
sort of girl? Why can't he choose old Em? She's the sort that _does_
want to get settled. She knows she'll have to buck up about it, too. She
said I should get left. That's what she's afraid of, herself; only she's
afraid of getting left on the shelf.... I wonder why it is the marrying
men don't get hold of the marrying girls! They do, sometimes, I
suppose...." Jenny shrugged restlessly and stood looking at nothing.
"Oh, it's sickening! You can't do anything you like in this world.
Nothing at all! You've always got to do what you _don't_ like. They say
it's good for you. It's your 'duty.' Who to? And who are 'they,' to say
such a thing? What are they after? Just to keep people like me in their
place--do as you're told. Well, I'm not going to do as I'm told. They
can lump it! That's what they can do. What does it matter--what happens