To some women the most terrible thought connected with death is the
dates in the obituary notice.

As a rule, when a woman opens the door of an artistic career with one
hand, she shuts the door on domestic happiness with the other.



CHAPTER XI



The rector of St Blank's Church dined at the Cheney table or drove in
the Cheney establishment every week, beside which there were always
one or two confidential chats with the feminine Cheneys in the
parsonage on matters pertaining to the welfare of the church, and
occasionally to the welfare of humanity.

That Alice Cheney had conceived a sudden and consuming passion for
the handsome and brilliant rector of St Blank's, both her mother and
the Baroness knew, and both were doing all in their power to further
the girl's hopes.

While Alice resembled her mother in appearance and disposition,
propensities and impulses occasionally exhibited themselves which
spoke of paternal inheritance. She had her father's strongly
emotional nature, with her mother's stubbornness; and Preston
Cheney's romantic tendencies were repeated in his daughter, without
his reasoning powers. Added to her father's lack of self-control in
any strife with his passions, Alice possessed her mother's hysterical