In the pause Jean asked, 'Did nobody want you to teach French or sing the little songs?'
'The heads of schools thought me too young. There were people ready to listen to my singing. But the terms, they were too hard. Soon my money was gone. I began to pawn my trinkets. _They_ went.'
'No; but by that time I had some real education--an unpaid hotel bill, and not a shilling in the world. Some girls think it hardship to have to earn their living. The horror is not to be allowed to.'
Lady John stood up. 'My dear,' she asked her visitor, 'have your things been sent down?'
'Well, by chance I met a friend of my family.'
'I thought so. He was nearly ten years older than I. He said he wanted to help me.' Again she paused.
Lady John laid her hand on Miss Levering's shoulder.
'Perhaps, after all, he did,' she said. 'Why do I waste time over myself? I belonged to the little class of armed women. My body wasn't born weak, and my spirit wasn't broken by the _habit_ of slavery. But, as Mrs. Heriot was kind enough to hint, I do know something about the possible fate of homeless girls. What was true a dozen years ago is true to-day. There are pleasant parks, museums, free libraries in our great rich London, and not one single place where destitute women can be sure of work that isn't killing, or food that isn't worse than prison fare. That's why women ought not to sleep o' nights till this Shelter stands spreading out wide arms.'
'Even when it's built,'--Mrs. Heriot was angrily gathering up her gloves, her fan and her Prayer-book--'you'll see! Many of those creatures will prefer the life they lead. They _like_ it. A woman told me--one of the sort that knows--told me many of them like it so much that they are indifferent to the risk of being sent to prison. "_It gives them a rest_,"' she said.
'A rest!' breathed Lady John, horror-struck.
Miss Levering glanced at the clock as she rose to go upstairs, while Lady John and Mrs. Heriot bent their heads over the plan covertly talking.
Jean ran forward and caught the tall grey figure on the lower step.
'I want to begin to understand something of----,' she began in a beseeching tone. 'I'm horribly ignorant.'
Miss Levering looked down upon her searchingly. 'I'm a rather busy person,' she said.