The Thrift has now been in operation for over a year, and Eleanor thinks it may be time to move on. She applies for a part-time position at St. Jude's Hospital, where she runs into the expected opposition, spearheaded by the charismatic Dr. Finbar ("Finn") O'Neill. Although she is clearly the best-qualified applicant, Dr. O'Neill's opposition appears to be insurmountable, until Robert intervenes by inviting the board chairman, Dr. James, to dinner. O'Neill is furious, and Eleanor discovers why: in the not-too-distant past, her father had engaged Dr. O'Neill in an acrimonious exchange of letters in one of the leading medical journals. Despite this disadvantage, Eleanor eventually manages to earn Dr. O'Neill's respect and, when his Registrar, Dr. Rolls, moves on to a better post, he offers the full-time position to Eleanor. She is flattered and nearly accepts, but when one of her Thrift patients, a 12-year-old prostitute named Lucy, arrives at St, Jude's in desperate need and is nearly turned away by Dr. O'Neill, she realizes where her priorities lie.