julia, grateful for any distraction after another sleepless night, went to her mother’s room to relate the history of woman’s suffrage from its incipiency in the united states of america down to the present moment, when the english women, having been driven to adopt the methods of men, were confident of victory for the first time.

mrs. edis, who rose late in these days, was propped up in bed, wearing the expression of one who is about to enter a hospital and have the operation performed which may give her a new lease of life.

“if i must hear this tiresome story, i must,” she said. “tell it me in as few words as possible, but leave out no detail which will make me understand it fully. i read your horoscope again last night. your destiny is too plainly writ to admit of any doubt. and it was made three times. i am an old woman to sever my mind from the ideals of a lifetime, but those frivolous people opened my eyes yesterday. moreover, you can never be duchess kingsborough. you are not likely to have another opportunity to marry, for no child of mine would disgrace herself in the divorce courts.” her sharp eyes never left julia’s face. “nor could you obtain a divorce in england. ring the bell. i wish another cup of tea. then you may convert me.”

julia had made up her mind not to tell her family of france’s death until she had reached her final decision, and felt reasonably certain that mrs. winstone would not hear of it at bath house. tay would understand her desire for secrecy, nor would he be eager to admit that he had come to nevis to await the man’s death. even mrs. morison, she felt sure, had not been taken into his confidence. that lively little lady had prattled a good deal yesterday, while julia was showing her the gardens, and it was evident that she had leaped to the natural conclusion that her brother was determined to persuade julia to have her marriage annulled in the united states without further delay.

mrs. edis having fortified herself with a cup of strong tea, julia spent the next three hours telling her story. when she had finished, her mother did not speak for a few moments, then nodded her head emphatically.

“i see! i see!” she said. “i shall never approve of those unladylike demonstrations, but i admit that results have justified them. your destiny is clear to me now. you have only begun. i, in my limited knowledge, read that you were to be the greatest lady in england. substitute the greatest woman in england and all is clear.”

“it might be in america,” said julia, hesitatingly, but not turning her eyes away. “they—they—have talked more than once of sending me there.”

“nonsense!” mrs. edis reached for her stick that she might thump the floor. “america! a nation of savages?—”

“good heavens, mother! america—the united states—is one of the great countries of the earth, a world power. must i give you its history, too?”

“god forbid. it does not exist as far as i am concerned. great britain is practically the earth. no other country is worthy of your horoscope. and you must not stay here too long. don’t fancy that men will hasten to give you power. not they! men! how i should like to see them humbled to the dust before i go. no, your time here must be short, and i want you to promise to give it all to me.”

“oh, i came to see you.”

“i shall claim you. who is this mr. tay? is he really in love with maria?” there was the ghost of a smile on her grim mouth, and her bright little eyes explored the serene depths before her.

“oh, aunt maria always has an infant-in-waiting. i doubt if she is ever serious.”

“but who is he? of course he has no family, as he is an american, but is he respectable? has he any fortune?”

“he is quite respectable, and i believe he is well off. his sister, mrs. bode, is an old friend of aunt maria’s. she is received everywhere in london.”

“ah? so! maria had better marry him. but i’ll not have him, nor any of those people, here again. i have never needed society, and now!” her harsh dry face lit up. “my old science is restored to me. it will companion me for the rest of my days. you need never fear that i am lonely. a great science is all things to the mind that loves it. you will visit me as often as you can. i need nothing further. when fanny marries—and i now hope she will find a husband at bath house; i long to be rid of her sulky discontented face—my lawyer will engage a suitable overseer. now go and send that lazy black-and-tan mustee to come and dress me.”

fanny came in late for lunch. she looked flushed and triumphant, and her manner was subtly insulting. but nobody noticed her, nor that she left the house as soon as the meal finished. mrs. edis talked of the new central factory to be built on st. kitts, and the significance of the projected government house for nevis. mrs. winstone yawned, and julia was absorbed in her own thoughts. she longed to be alone, but she had barely reached the shelter of her room when denny knocked and handed her a letter. she closed the door in his face, and her hand shook. but the address was not in tay’s handwriting, and she opened the letter with a sensation of bitter ennui. it proved to be a circular communication from the ladies of st. kitts, begging her to speak to them at her convenience on the subject of the militant movement in england. it was couched in formal terms, but enthusiasm exuded, and the word great, personally applied, occurred no less than four times.

“great!” thought julia. “we that the world calls great know just how great we are. every man his own valet!”

her impulse was to refuse, but on second thought she concluded to accept the invitation, and for the morrow. here was her opportunity to discover if the great cause had taken irrevocable possession of her. she had recited its history mechanically to her mother, but that, no doubt, was owing to her mental and physical fatigue. she would sleep to-night, and to-morrow, if she could feel the old thrill when talking to a rapt audience, play upon them, sway them, rise to the heights of magnetic eloquence which had made her famous, convert the cynical, then, surely, her old enthusiasm would return. if not?—

denny had told her that the messenger awaited an answer. she went to the living-room and read the letter to her mother.

“if you don’t mind my leaving you for one day?—”

mrs. edis interrupted her. there was a slight flush on her face. “by all means, accept,” she said. “and i, too, will go. it will be my only opportunity to hear you, to witness one of your triumphs. have you all those newspaper articles about yourself that i have heard of?”

“i am afraid not. i kept a scrap-book for a year, but we soon get over that.”

“can you obtain them?”

“oh, yes, it would be possible.”

“i wish them, and everything else that is written about you from this time forth.”

“very well, you shall have them.”

“write your acceptance. to-morrow i shall go to st. kitts for the first time in sixteen years. and for the first time in forty years i shall see that island bend the knee to an edis.”