That word free did not have its full meaning for her. She had never known what real freedom was; women of the comfortable class--and men, too, for that matter--usually are born into the petty slavery of conventions at least, and know nothing else their whole lives through--never know the joy of the thought and the act of a free mind and a free heart. Still, she was released from a bondage that seemed slavish even to her, and the release gave her a sensation akin to the joy of freedom. A heavy hand that was crushing her very soul had been lifted off--no, FLUNG off, and by herself. That thought, terrifying though it was, also gave her a certain new and exalting self-respect. After all, she was not a worm. She must have somewhere in her the germs of something less contemptible than the essential character of so many of the eminently respectable women she knew. She could picture them in the situation in which she had found herself. What would they have done? Why, what every instinct of her education impelled her to do; what some latent love of freedom, some unsuspected courage of self-respect had forbidden her to do, had withheld her from doing. Her thoughts and the gorgeous sunshine and her youth and health put her in a steadily less cheerless mood as by a roundabout way she sought the shop of the jeweler who sold the general the gold bag she had selected. The proprietor himself was in the front part of the shop and received "Madame la Generale" with all the honors of her husband's wealth. She brought no experience and no natural trading talent to the enterprise she was about to undertake; so she went directly to the main point. "This bag," said she, laying it upon the glass between them, "I bought it here a short time ago." "I remember perfectly, madame. It is the handsomest, the most artistic, we have sold this year." "I wish to sell it back to you," said she. "You wish to get something else and include it as part payment, madame?" "No, I wish to get the money for it." "Ah, but that is difficult. We do not often make those arrangements. Second-hand articles--" "But the bag is quite new. Anyhow, it must have some value. Of course I'd not expect the full price." The jeweler smiled. "The full price? Ah, madame, we should not think of offering it again as it is. We should--" "No matter," interrupted Mildred. The man's expression--the normally pleasant and agreeable countenance turned to repulsive by craft and lying--made her eager to be gone. "What is the most you will give me?" "I shall have to consider--" "I've only a few minutes. Please do not irritate me."