He saw also that she was a gentlewoman fitted for more refined pursuits. How had she reached this pass? he wondered. Would she volunteer the information, or should he ask her? He failed to perceive what assistance he could render if he knew; yet if he did not help her she would go away and die, and he would know that she was going away to die as he let her out.
"I was introduced to the firm by a very old connection of theirs. I couldn't find anything to do, and he fancied that as I was—well, that as I was a lady—it sounds rather odd under the circumstances to speak of being a lady, doesn't it——?"
"I don't see anything odd about it," he said.
"He fancied I might do rather well. But I think it's a drawback, on the contrary. It's not easy to me to decline to take 'No' for an answer; and nobody can do any good at work she's ashamed of."
"But you shouldn't be ashamed," he said; "it's honest enough."
"That's what the manager tells me. Only when la woman has to go into a stranger's office and bother him, and be snubbed for her pains, the honesty doesn't prevent her feeling uncomfortable. You must have found me a nuisance yourself."
"I'm afraid I was rather brusque," he said quickly. "I was busy; I hope I wasn't rude?"
Her colour rose.
"I didn't mean that at all," she stammered; "I shouldn't be very grateful to remind you of it even if you had been!"
"I should have thought a book of that sort would have been tolerably easy to sell. It's a useful work of reference. What's the price?"