Another agreed, and made some
observations on the merits of self-sacrifice generally.
"But some people are not satisfied with merely _doing_ a good deed," a
gentleman declared, with profound gravity. "They think there is no
merit in it if they do not suffer for it in some way themselves."
There was a good deal more of this kind of thing, and we were beginning
to feel rather out of it, when presently the preternatural gravity of
the party was broken by a laugh, and then it was explained.
Ideala had gone to a neighbouring town one day by train, and before she
started a poor woman got into the carriage. The woman had a third-class
ticket, but she was evidently ill, and when the guard came and wanted
to turn her out, Ideala took pity on her, insisted on changing tickets,
and travelled third class herself. The woman had been to the Palace,
and described the incident to the Bishop's wife that morning, and she
had just told her guests, wondering who the lady could have been, and
they in turn had put their heads together and decided that there was no
one in the community but Ideala who would have done the thing in that
way.
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