In the course of the meal she mentioned Edith Franks.
Both mother and son laughed when her name was spoken of.
"What! that enthusiastic, silly girl who actually wants to be a doctor?" cried Mrs. Trevor. "She is a first-rate girl herself, but her ideas are—"
"You must not say anything against Edith Franks, mother," exclaimed her son. "For my part, I think she is very plucky. I have no doubt," he added, "that women doctors can do very good work."
"She is much too learned for me, that is all," replied Mrs. Trevor; "but I hear she is to undergo her examinations in America. I trust the day will never come when it will be easy for a woman to obtain her medical degree in this country. It is horrible to think of anything so unfeminine."
"I do not think Edith Franks is unfeminine," said Florence. "She has been awfully kind to me. I think she is experimenting on me now."
"And that you don't like, my dear?"
"She is very good to me," repeated Florence, "but I do not like it."
Mrs. Trevor smiled, and Maurice gave Florence a puzzled, earnest glance.
"I do wish, mother," he said suddenly, "that you could arrange to have Miss Aylmer living with you."