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What else can you do?"

"Why--" she began, helplessly; "I don't think I know just what you

ood woman?"

The shock of the question left her speechless She tried to meet his

eye; quailed, half rose: "I don't knohat you ht have

you to ask me such a question--"

Dr, Lavendar waited

"Perhaps I don't think about things, quite as you do I as because of religion; I

believe in--in reason, not in religion I try to be good in--ood'"

"What do I call 'good'?"

At which she burst out that people in Old Chester thought that people

who did not live according to convention were not good For her part,

convention was the last thing she thought of Indeed, she believed

there was more wickedness in convention than out of it! "If I have

done anything you would call wrong, it was because I couldn't help it;

I never wanted to do wrong I just wanted to be happy I've tried to

be charitable And I've tried to be good--in o to heaven, and all that I--I don't believe in heaven,"

she ended with terrified flippancy