her hand and held it affectionately as she spoke:

'You speak of a woman's wrong-doing, when surely it is a man's as
well. There does not seem to be blame for him who is the more
guilty. Only for poor women! . . . And, Auntie dear, it is such poor
women that I should like to help . . . Not when it is too late, but
before! But how can I help unless I know? Good girls cannot tell
me, and good women won't! You yourself, Auntie, didn't want to speak
on the subject; even to me!'

'But, my dear child, these are not things for unmarried women. I
never speak of them myself except with matrons.' Stephen's answer
flashed out like a sword; and cut like one:

'And yet you are unmarried! Oh, Auntie dear, I did not and I do not
mean to be offensive, or to hurt you in any way. I know, dear, your
goodness and your kindness to all. But you limit yourself to one
side!' The elder lady interrupted:

'How do you mean? one side! which side?'

'The punishment side. I want to know the cause of that which brings
the punishment. There surely is some cross road in a girl's life
where the ways part. I want to stand there if I can, with warning in
one hand and help in the other. Oh! Auntie, Auntie, can't you see
that my heart is in this . . . These are our people; Daddy says they
are to be my people; and I want to know their lives right through; to
understand their wants, and their temptations, and their weakness.
Bad and good, whatever it be, I must know it all; or I shall be
working in the dark, and may injure or crush where I had looked to