Part 23 (2/2)
”You must come back and see my mother, Franks,” he continued, turning again to the young man. ”It is very kind of you to offer your umbrella to Miss Aylmer, but I think you must share it with her.”
There was no help for it. Florence had to walk under Mr. Franks's umbrella; she had seldom found herself in a more awkward position.
”Of course,” she thought, ”he will speak of the ma.n.u.script.”
She rushed recklessly into conversation in order to avoid this, but in vain. During the first pause Mr. Franks said: ”I have good news for you, Miss Aylmer. I showed your story to my chief, Anderson, last night. I begged of him to read it at once. He did so to oblige me. He will take it for the _Argonaut_. I thought you would be glad. He wants you to call at the office to-morrow, when he will arrange terms with you.--Forgive us, won't you, Trevor, for talking business; but it was such a chance, coming across Miss Aylmer like this, and I thought she would like to know as soon as possible what a great success she has made.”
Trevor glanced at Florence in some astonishment.
”Does this mean that you write?” he said, ”and that you have had an article accepted?”
”A very promising article accepted extremely willingly,” said Franks.
”Miss Aylmer deserves your hearty congratulations, Trevor. She is a very fortunate young lady indeed.”
”I know I am, and I am grateful,” said Florence.
Trevor again looked at her.
”She is not happy. What can be wrong?” he said to himself.
”Have you ever published anything before?” continued Franks.
”Never.”
”Well, you are lucky. Your style--I do not want to flatter you, but your style is quite formed. You must have been a very successful essay-writer at school.”
”No, I never wrote much,” said poor Florence. ”I--I hate writing,” she said the next moment. The words burst impetuously from her lips.
”By all that's wonderful! what do you mean by that? Surely it would be absolutely impossible for anyone who hated writing to do so with your ease and fluency!”
”We are nearly home now, and Miss Aylmer seems very tired,” said Trevor.
”Will you come in, Franks?”
”No, thanks; I must be getting home. You will call at our office to-morrow, Miss Aylmer?”
”Thank you,” said Florence; ”at what hour?”
”I shall be in and will introduce you to my chief if you can come at twelve o'clock. Well, good-bye for the present.” He raised his hat to Florence, favoured her with a keen glance, said good-bye to Trevor, and turned away.
”I must congratulate you,” said Trevor, as the young man and the girl walked up the little path to the house.
”What for?” she asked. She raised her eyes full of dumb misery to his face.
”For having won a success, and a very honourable one.”
”Oh, don't ask me any more,” she said; ”please, please don't speak of it. I thought I should be so happy to-day.”
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