“It must be splendid to be so capable as you are,” Helène remarked with a sigh of regret.
“Ah, but you don’t get there, my dear Miss Barton, without a great deal of heart-breaking work. It’s not so easy as it looks.” Miss Fisher’s face clouded a little as if recalling an unpleasant past, but her face resumed its bright and alert expression almost before the shadow had left it. She looked at Helène’s beautiful countenance for a long time and then suddenly she said:
“Won’t you let me help you? You are too young and too pretty to fight this battle alone. It will make me happy, if you will. I have lots of money—my firm pays all the expenses.”
“You are more than kind, dear Miss Fisher. Thank you. I know you mean well; but I’ve some money of my own. I’m not so helpless as all that.”
Helène spoke with her gentle and distinguished courtesy, smiling charmingly at the same time.
“My dear—let me call you Helène, won’t you?—thank you. You see I’m much older than you are, both in years and experience of life. We’ll drop the subject for the while; but let’s stick together so long as I’m in Hanover, shall we?”
“I shall be only too pleased. You are so encouraging and so—strong. You make me feel very hopeful.”
“That’s all right. We’ll just go about and see the sights. Maybe we’ll think something out before my week is up.”
They spent the afternoon together, and Helène promised her new friend to call on her that evening at her hotel to look over the purchases she had made.
The evening provided a rare experience for Helène. Miss Fisher showed her a collection of wonderful laces, ribbons, trimmings, jets and ornaments which had been acquired for the New York market. What impressed Helène more, however, was the quick decisive manner with which Miss Fisher explained everything; the nimble hands which displayed the articles to their best advantage; the ready words which fell from her lips in praise of their qualities. Helène had never imagined a woman could be so capable, and at the same time so jolly and witty.