Then it's every man for himself . . ."
Maggie shook her head.
"I've always known that I'd have to manage for myself," she said.
"I've never expected any one to do anything for me, so I'm not
likely to be disappointed now."
He moved a little closer to her and held her hand more firmly; even
as he did so something in his heart reproached him, but now the
reproach was very far away, like an echo of some earlier voice.
"Do you know you're a wonderful girl?" he said. "I knew you were
from the first moment I saw you. You're the most independent person
I've ever known. You can't guess how I admire that! And all the same
you're not happy, are you? You want to get out of it, don't you?"
She thought for a little while before she nodded her head.
"I suppose as a fact." she said, "I do. If you want to know--and you
mustn't tell anybody--I've posted a letter to a lady whom I met once
who told me if ever I wanted anything to write to her. I've asked
her for some work. I've got three hundred pounds of my own. It isn't
very much, I know, but I could start on it . . . I don't want to do
wrong to my aunts, who are very kind to me, but I'm not happy there.
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