flight.

She was of an ardent temperament; men attracted her, although, since
she had been grown up, she had never exchanged anything that could
be construed into a love passage with a member of the opposite sex,
opportunities for meeting those whom she considered her equals being
wanting in her dull round of daily teaching. Sometimes, a face she
had seen in the street, or a character she encountered in a book
attracted her, when she would think of her hero, allowing her mind
to place him in tender situations with herself, for the few hours
her infatuation lasted, showing her to be of an impressionable and
romantic disposition. Although she often felt her loneliness, and
the consequent need of human companionship, her pride would never
suffer her to take advantage of the innumerable facilities which the
streets of London offer a comely girl to make chance friendships,
facilities which, for thousands of friendless young women in big
towns, are their only chance for meeting the male of their species.

Mavis's pride was not of the kind with which providence endows
millions of foolish people, apparently by way of preventing them
from realising their insignificance, or, at the worst, making their
smallness tolerable. It arose from knowledge of the great and
inexhaustible treasure of love which was hers to bestow; so
convinced was she of the value of this wealth, that she guarded it
jealously, not permitting it to suffer taint or deterioration from
commerce with those who, if only from curiosity, might strive to
examine her riches.

She feared with a grave dread the giving of the contents of this
treasure house, knowing full well that, if she gave at all, she