“There's always that to remember,” said he, with the eagerness of a drowning man grasping at a straw.
“And I believe that the chances are greatly in favour of that hope being realized. Thank you again for your encouragement, dear Eddy,” said she.
“Oh, that's nothing—nothing worth talking about,” said he, picking up his gloves. “You can command me always, Cousin Fanny. And you have seen that I can keep a secret. Now mind you don't leave that lying about”—he pointed to the parcel, the string of which Susy was knotting—“and, be advised by me, turn the key in the lock when you are working at it.”
“Yes,” said Susy, “we'll be sure to do our best to prevent anyone from suspecting that we have a secret, by locking ourselves in.”
“Caution—nothing like caution,” said he in a whisper, unfastening the door and putting his head out to glance to right and left of the short corridor. He held up his finger. “All safe so far,” he whispered; “no one is in sight.”
CHAPTER XV
THE moment he disappeared, Susy slipped the knot which she had just made on the parcel and flung the paper away.
“Now we can settle down to it properly, Fanny,” she cried, catching up the bundle of unstitched sheets and throwing herself back upon the little sofa. “Come beside me, dear, and we shall go through every word together. Never mind what Eddy said; I think it looks quite lovely, and how easily it reads—just like poetry—'Evelina'!—how did you think of that sweet name?—'or, A Young Lady's Entrance into the World.' Not a mistake so far. The printers must surely be careful men! And now that you come to think of it, this is really the entrance of the Young Lady into the world. Here she is, smiling, but a little shy—just like her mamma—your Evelina takes after you, dear—now, confess that there is something agreeably shy in the italics printing of that line beginning with 'A Young Lady's Entrance,' Fanny; it may be wrong to write a novel, but don't you think that this is worth it? Edward is a goose to talk as he did about crying over spilt milk. I wonder that you had patience to listen to him.”