"I suppose it would," said Juliet thoughtfully. "Well, I do not wish to act meanly by Hannah and Salome; but I do long sometimes to get away from them, they irritate me so."
"It will not do to make any changes yet," said Mrs. Tracy, who was naturally averse to change, and always shrank from making a decision on any important matter. "Although you have inherited this money, you will not get it into your possession for some time to come. I did not understand all that Mr. Gray Was saying about letters of administration and the like, but I know that legal processes are always very tedious. Lawyers can never be hurried."
"How tiresome of them!" said Juliet, with a pout.
"But I have no doubt Mr. Gray would advance you a sum of money if you wanted it," said Mrs. Tracy, on a sudden thought. "I have been wondering whether you would like to go abroad for a while. You have never been on the Continent."
"Not now," said Juliet decisively; "not till I have finished my lessons with Signor Lombardi. After that, I might go and study at the Conservatoire in Paris. Or in Milan, perhaps; I know he thinks very highly of the instruction there. I can have the best possible training now."
"Oh, my dear, you will not think of becoming a public singer," said her mother imploringly, "when your uncle had such an objection to the idea, when he hated the thought of the people you would mix with, and all the glare and excitement and publicity?"
"I have not said that I intend to become a public singer," replied Juliet coldly. "There is no reason Why I should not have the training of one."
"Oh, my dear, why should you? Surely it would bring you into contact with a very undesirable kind of people. I can't bear to think of it for you, Juliet."
Mrs. Tracy knew almost nothing of the lives of public musicians and the like, but she had a vague notion that they were generally persons of doubtful morals and irregular Bohemian habits. It was appalling to think of her darling Juliet being thrown into such society.
But Juliet laughed merrily at her mother's words.