He  had  no  message  for  her.  In  no  wise  did  he  repel
her,  though.  Sometimes  she  would  take  his  face
between  her  hands,  look  awhile  into  the  blue  eyes
where  there  always  lurked  some  wistfuhiess,  and  then
kiss  him  just  once  and  quickly,  without  knowing
why.
'  Why  do  you  do  that,  Vicky  ?  '  he  asked  once.
She  had  not  answered  but  had  merely  kissed  his
cheek  again.  She  liardly  knew  how  to  tell  him  that
she  sighed  because  she  could  only  consent  to  love
him  instead  of  offering  to  do  so.  While  he  was  sunk
in  his  daily  growing  ease  she  was  again  thinking  of
ultimate  ends  and  despised  herself  a  little  for  it.  She
had  to  be  alone  for  a  while  before  she  could  regain
self-control,  remember  the  terrible  tyranny  of  man
and  her  resolve  to  be  free.  Gentle  Jack  was  a  man,
one  of  the  oppressors,  and  as  such  he  must  be  used
as  an  instrument  against  his  sex.  The  very  ease  with
which  she  swayed  him,  with  which  she  could  foresee
her  victory,  unnerved  her  a  1  ittle.  When  she  answered
his  hesitating  question  as  to  how  much  she  needed
to  live,  she  had  to  force  herself  to  lie,  to  trade  on  his
enslavement  by  asking  him  for  two  thousand  a  year.
