I + 

тАЬWe want another man,тАЭ said Mrs.┬аVereker. + 

Her eyebrows, slightly enhanced by art, drew together in a straight line as she frowned. + 

тАЬItтАЩs too annoying young Wetherill failing us,тАЭ she added. + 

Nell nodded apathetically. She was sitting on the arm of a chair, not yet dressed. Her golden hair hung in a stream over the pale pink kimono she was wearing. She looked very lovely and very young and defenceless. + 

Mrs.┬аVereker, sitting at her inlaid desk, frowned still more and bit the end of her penholder thoughtfully. The hardness that had always been noticeable was now accentuated and, as it were, crystallized. This was a woman who had battled steadily and unceasingly through life and was now engaged in a supreme struggle. She lived in a house the rent of which she could not afford to pay and she dressed her daughter in clothes she could not afford to buy. She got things on creditтБатАФnot, like some others, by cajolery, but by sheer driving power. She never appealed to her creditors, she browbeat them. + 

And the result was that Nell went everywhere and did everything that other girls did and was better dressed while doing so. + 

тАЬMademoiselle is lovely,тАЭ said the dressmakers, and their eyes would meet Mrs.┬аVerekerтАЩs in a glance of understanding. + 

A girl so beautiful, so well turned out, would marry probably in her first season, certainly in her secondтБатАФand then a rich harvest would be reaped. They were used to taking risks of this kindтБатАФMademoiselle was lovely, Madame, her mother, was a woman of the world and a woman, they could see, who was accustomed to success in her undertakings. She would assuredly see to it that her daughter made a good match and did not marry a nobody. + 

Nobody but Mrs.┬аVereker herself knew the difficulties, the setbacks, the galling defeats of the campaign she had undertaken. + 

тАЬThere is young Earnescliff,тАЭ she said thoughtfully. тАЬBut he is really too much of an outsiderтБатАФand not even money to recommend him.тАЭ + 

Nell looked at her pink polished nails. + 

тАЬWhat about Vernon Deyre?тАЭ she suggested. тАЬHe wrote he was coming up to town this weekend.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe would do,тАЭ said Mrs.┬аVereker. She looked sharply at her daughter. тАЬNell, youтАЩre notтБатАФyouтАЩre not allowing yourself to become foolish about that young man, are you? We seem to have seen a great deal of him lately.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe dances well,тАЭ said Nell. тАЬAnd heтАЩs frightfully useful.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Mrs.┬аVereker. тАЬYes. ItтАЩs a pity.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhatтАЩs a pity?тАЭ + 

тАЬThat he hasnтАЩt got a few more of this worldтАЩs goods. HeтАЩll have to marry money if heтАЩs ever going to be able to keep up Abbots Puissants. ItтАЩs mortgaged, you know. I found that out. Of course, when his mother diesтБатАКтБатАж But sheтАЩs one of those large healthy women who go on living till theyтАЩre eighty or ninety. And besides, she may marry again. No, Vernon Deyre is hopeless considered as a parti. HeтАЩs very much in love with you, too, poor boy.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo you think so?тАЭ said Nell in a low voice. + 

тАЬAnyone can see it. It sticks out all over himтБатАФit always does with boys of that age. Well, theyтАЩve got to go through calf love, I suppose. But no foolishness on your part, Nell.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, Mother, heтАЩs only a boyтБатАФa very nice boy, but a boy.тАЭ + 

тАЬHeтАЩs a good-looking boy,тАЭ said her mother dryly. тАЬIтАЩm only warning you. Being in love is a painful process when you canтАЩt have the man you want. And worseтБатАФтАЭ + 

She stopped. Nell knew well enough how her thoughts ran on. Captain Vereker had once been a handsome, blue-eyed, impecunious young subaltern. Her mother had been guilty of the folly of marrying him for love. She had lived to rue the day bitterly. A weak man, a failure, a drunkard. Disillusionment enough there in all conscience. + 

тАЬSomeone devoted is always useful,тАЭ said Mrs.┬аVereker, reverting to her utilitarian standpoint. тАЬHe mustnтАЩt, of course, spoil your chances with other men. But youтАЩre too wise to let him monopolize you to that extent. Yes, write and ask him to drive down to Ranelagh and dine with us there on Sunday next.тАЭ + 

Nell nodded. She got up and went to her own room, flung off the trailing kimono and started dressing. With a stiff brush she brushed out the long golden hair before coiling it round her small lovely head. + 

The window was open. A sooty London sparrow chirped and sang with the arrogance of his kind. + 

Something caught at NellтАЩs heart. Oh! why was everything soтБатАФsoтБатАФ + 

So what? She didnтАЩt knowтБатАФcouldnтАЩt put into words, the feeling that surged over her. Why couldnтАЩt things be nice instead of nasty? It would be just as easy for God. + 

Nell never thought much about God, but she knew, of course, that he was there. Perhaps, somehow or other, God would make everything come right for her. + 

There was something childlike about Nell Vereker on that summerтАЩs morning in London. + 