herself in moods or reveries; still, within her grew a silent
disapproval of Christa. She felt herself superior to her. After a while
another thought came upon her with unexpected force. Christa's motive
for taking to the religious life was only self-interest; her own motive
was the same; and was not that the motive which she really supposed
hitherto to actuate all religious people? Had she not, for instance,
been fully convinced that self-interest was the sum and substance of
Bart Toyner's religion? Now between Bart Toyner and Christa and herself
she felt that a great gulf was fixed.

Well, she did not know; she did not understand; she was not at all sure
that she wanted to understand anything more about Bart Toyner and all
the complex considerations about life which the thought of him seemed to
arouse in her. She felt that the best way of ridding herself of
uncomfortable thoughts about him was to be busy in performing all that
he could reasonably require at her hands. It is just in the same way
that many people rid themselves of thoughts about God.

All that long day, while the sunlight fell pink through the haze, Ann
worked at renovating her own life and Christa's. She took Christa and
went to some girls of their acquaintance, and presented them with all
the feathers, furbelows, and artificials which she and Christa
possessed. She cooked some of the viands which she had advertised for
sale, and prepared all her small stock of kitchen utensils for the new
avocation. It was a long hard day's work, and before it was over the
village was ringing with the news of all this change. The minister had
already called on Ann and Christa, saying suitable things concerning
their father's terrible crime and their own sad position. When he was
gone Christa laughed.