she went slowly in the direction of the sands. She had induced Mrs. Aylmer to p

ing to get the answer which Florence had not given her the day before. She walked slo

omise that she will not betray me to Mrs. Aylmer. Mrs. Aylmer is just the sort of person, if Florence made the worst of things, to tur

in the Post Office Savings Bank. She was intensely fond of money, but she knew that the time had come when it might be necessary to sac

pale, and her eyes were re

s this mean? Have you had any dome

orence. "I wish you would go away, Bertha: I hate to

you will not be long worried by us. I have just been see

answered

y?" continued Bertha, giving

now him," rep

him. How did you becom

r introdu

ce. "Well, Flo, you and I have a good deal to say to each other. L

in an almost sulky tone: "Very well." They turned in that direction and walked slowly. At l

had in his blue eyes. How upright he looked! How different from Bertha! Oh, what a miserable wretche

ey reached

ur little arrangement. You have made up your mind, of course, Florenc

to injure you, much as you injured me in the past; but at the same time why should I make a pro

n the world. Your very name is as a red rag to her. If I want to rouse her worst passions,

rced to listen to me, and if you rouse my evil f

a. "You want money badly. You

s quite

od education and you want

n to e

s on the world, and I was forced to invent all kinds of subterfuges to make my way. I pity girls who are placed as I was placed. I have now managed to get into a comfortable ne

o," said Florence; but she tr

th fifty pounds in your pocket you can go, say to London or to any other large town and advertise what you are worth. You have, I presume, something to

covered her face with her hands; th

ave a qu

. Will you do it? I am quite agreeable. I will furnish you with a short story, say, once a fortnight, or once a month. Will you take one with you and try to sell it as your own? I can do it in the evenings, and you shall have it. Don't you think that I am paying you well, now, to keep silence? I am offering you an honourable livelihood, and in the meantime there is the fifty pounds: you may as well have it

d Florence; "but I never thought of writ

ing as she spoke, "and in the meantime

t take it; p

you are a great writer we can cast up accounts and see on which side the balance lies. You quite understand? I have

do not know what to s

rve, and you will find when you go to London that the posts of teachers and secretaries are ov

rose to

horoughly miserable. I wish there we

of the story part; but, anyhow, you mus

before the other girl could say a word turned and left h

ter all, I am very generous to her; but I see my way, I think, to win Maurice Trevor. I see my way to prevent these two becoming friends, and at the worst, if Maurice does me