Amy laughed.
Doesnt that proceed from your fertile invention, Mr Milvain?
Not a bit of it! By-the-bye, what would be your natural question concerning her? Do you think she gave promise of good looks?
Im afraid I cant say that she did. She had a good face, butrather plain.
I see. Jasper threw back his head and seemed to contemplate an object in memory. Well, I shouldnt wonder if most people called her a trifle plain even now; and yetno, thats hardly possible, after all. She has no colour. Wears her hair short.
Short?
Oh, I dont mean the smooth, boyish hair with a partingnot the kind of hair that would be lank if it grew long. Curly all over. Looks uncommonly well, I assure you. She has a capital head. Odd girl; very odd girl! Quiet, thoughtfulnot very happy, Im afraid. Seems to think with dread of a return to books.
Indeed! But I had understood that she was a reader.
Reading enough for six people, probably. Perhaps her health is not very robust. Oh, I knew her by sight quite wellhad seen her at the Reading-room. Shes the kind of girl that gets into ones head, you knowsuggestive; much more in her than comes out until one knows her very well.
Well, I should hope so, remarked Amy, with a peculiar smile.
But thats by no means a matter of course. They didnt invite me to come and see them in London.
I suppose Marian mentioned your acquaintance with this branch of the family?
I think not. At all events, she promised me she wouldnt.
Amy looked at him inquiringly, in a puzzled way.
She promised you?
Voluntarily. We got rather sympathetic. Your uncleAlfred, I meanis a remarkable man; but I think he regarded me as a youth of no particular importance. Well, how do things go?
Amy shook her head.
No progress?
None whatever. He cant work; I begin to be afraid that he is really ill. He must go away before the fine weather is over. Do persuade him to-night! I wish you could have had a holiday with him.
Out of the question now, Im sorry to say. I must work savagely. But cant you all manage a fortnight somewhereHastings, Eastbourne?
It would be simply rash. One goes on saying, What does a pound or two matter?but it begins at length to matter a great deal.
I know, confound it all! Think how it would amuse some rich grocers son who pitches his half-sovereign to the waiter when he has dined himself into good humour! But I tell you what it is: you must really try to influence him towards practicality. Dont you think?
He paused, and Amy sat looking at her hands.
I have made an attempt, she said at length, in a distant undertone.
You really have?
Jasper leaned forward, his clasped hands hanging between his knees. He was scrutinising her face, and Amy, conscious of the too fixed regard, at length moved her head uneasily.
It seems very clear to me, she said, that a long book is out of the question for him at present. He writes so slowly, and is so fastidious. It would be a fatal thing to hurry through something weaker even than the last.
You think The Optimist weak? Jasper asked, half absently.
I dont think it worthy of Edwin; I dont see how anyone can.
I have wondered what your opinion was. Yes, he ought to try a new tack, I think.
Just then there came the sound of a latch-key opening the outer door. Jasper lay back in his chair and waited with a smile for his expected friends appearance; Amy made no movement.
Oh, there you are! said Reardon, presenting himself with the dazzled eyes of one who has been in darkness; he spoke in a voice of genial welcome, though it still had the note of depression. When did you get back?
Milvain began to recount what he had told in the first part of his conversation with Amy. As he did so, the latter withdrew, and was absent for five minutes; on reappearing she said:
Youll have some supper with us, Mr Milvain?
I think I will, please.
Shortly after, all repaired to the eating-room, where conversation had to be carried on in a low tone because of the proximity of the bedchamber in which lay the sleeping child. Jasper began to tell of certain things that had happened to him since his arrival in town.
It was a curious coincidencebut, by-the-bye, have you heard of what The Study has been doing?
I should rather think so, replied Reardon, his face lighting up. With no small satisfaction.
Delicious, isnt it? exclaimed his wife. I thought it too good to be true when Edwin heard of it from Mr Biffen.
All three laughed in subdued chorus. For the moment, Reardon became a new man in his exultation over the contradictory reviewers.
Oh, Biffen told you, did he? Well, continued Jasper, it was an odd thing, but when I reached my lodgings on Saturday evening there lay a note from Horace Barlow, inviting me to go and see him on Sunday afternoon out at Wimbledon, the special reason being that the editor of The Study would be there, and Barlow thought I might like to meet him. Now this letter gave me a fit of laughter; not only because of those precious reviews, but because Alfred Yule had been telling me all about this same editor, who rejoices in the name of Fadge. Your uncle, Mrs Reardon, declares that Fadge is the most malicious man in the literary profession; though thats saying such a very great dealwell, never mind! Of course I was delighted to go and meet Fadge. At Barlows I found the queerest collection of people, most of them women of the inkiest description. The great Fadge himself surprised me; I expected to see a gaunt, bilious man, and he was the rosiest and dumpiest little dandy you can imagine; a fellow of forty-five, I dare say, with thin yellow hair and blue eyes and a manner of extreme innocence. Fadge flattered me with confidential chat, and I discovered at length why Barlow had asked me to meet him; its Fadge that is going to edit Culpeppers new monthlyyouve heard about it?and he had actually thought it worth while to enlist me among contributors! Now, hows that for a piece of news?
The speaker looked from Reardon to Amy with a smile of vast significance.
I rejoice to hear it! said Reardon, fervently.
You see! you see! cried Jasper, forgetting all about the infant in the next room, all things come to the man who knows how to wait. But Im hanged if I expected a thing of this kind to come so soon! Why, Im a man of distinction! My doings have been noted; the admirable qualities of my style have drawn attention; Im looked upon as one of the coming men! Thanks, I confess, in some measure, to old Barlow; he seems to have amused himself with cracking me up to all and sundry. That last thing of mine in The West End has done me a vast amount of good, it seems. And Alfred Yule himself had noticed that paper in The Wayside. Thats how things work, you know; reputation comes with a burst, just when youre not looking for anything of the kind.
Whats the new magazine to be called? asked Amy.
Why, they propose The Current. Not bad, in a way; though you imagine a fellow saying Have you seen the current Current? At all events, the tone is to be up to date, and the articles are to be short; no padding, merum sal from cover to cover. What do you think I have undertaken to do, for a start? A paper consisting of sketches of typical readers of each of the principal daily and weekly papers. A deuced good idea, you knowmy own, of coursebut deucedly hard to carry out. I shall rise to the occasion, see if I dont. Ill rival Fadge himself in maliciousnessthough I must confess I discovered no particular malice in the fellows way of talking. The article shall make a sensation. Ill spend a whole month on it, and make it a perfect piece of satire.