In the six months she had spent in the house in Chelsea her nature had been strained to the uttermost, and what we call chance now came to decide the course of her destiny. The fight between circumstances and character had gone till now in favour of character, but circumstances must call up no further forces against character. A hair would turn the scale either way. One morning she was startled out of her sleep by a loud knocking at the door. It was Mrs. Bingley, who had come to ask her if she knew what time it was. It was nearly seven o'clock. But Mrs. Bingley could not blame her much, having herself forgotten to put on the electric bell, and Esther hurried through her dressing. But in hurrying she happened to tread on her dress, tearing it right across. It was most unfortunate, and just when she was most in a hurry. She held up the torn skirt. It was a poor, frayed, worn-out rag that would hardly bear mending again. Her mistress was calling her; there was nothing for it but to run down and tell her what had happened. "Haven't you got another dress that you can put on?" "No, ma'am." "Really, I can't have you going to the door in that thing. You don't do credit to my house; you must get yourself a new dress at once." Esther muttered that she had no money to buy one. "Then I don't know what you do with your money." "What I do with my wages is my affair; I've plenty of use for my money." "I cannot allow any servant of mine to speak to me like that." Esther did not answer, and Mrs. Bingley continued-- "It is my duty to know what you do with your money, and to see that you do not spend it in any wrong way. I am responsible for your moral welfare." "Then, ma'am, I think I had better leave you." "Leave me, because I don't wish you to spend your money wrongfully, because I know the temptations that a young girl's life is beset with?" "There ain't much chance of temptation for them who work seventeen hours a day." "Esther, you seem to forget--" "No, ma'am; but there's no use talking about what I do with my money--there are other reasons; the place is too hard a one. I've felt it so for some time, ma'am. My health ain't equal to it."