“And you seriously think, Miss Nunn, that by persuading as many women as possible to abstain from marriage you will improve the character of men?”
“I have no hope of sudden results, Mr. Barfoot. I should like to save as many as possible of the women now living from a life of dishonour; but the spirit of our work looks to the future. When all women, high and low alike, are trained to self-respect, then men will regard them in a different light, and marriage may be honourable to both.”
Again Everard was silent, and seemingly impressed.
“We’ll go on with this discussion another time,” said Miss Barfoot, with cheerful interruption. “Everard, do you know Somerset at all?”
“Never was in that part of England.”
“Miss Nunn is going to take her holiday at Cheddar and we have been looking over some photographs of that district taken by her brother.”
From the table she reached a scrapbook, and Everard turned it over with interest. The views were evidently made by an amateur, but in general had no serious faults. Cheddar cliffs were represented in several aspects.
“I had no idea the scenery was so fine. Cheddar cheese has quite overshadowed the hills in my imagination. This might be a bit of Cumberland, or of the Highlands.”
“It was my playground when I was a child,” said Rhoda.
“You were born at Cheddar?”