st
raise her terms. I will give her three guineas a thousand words for this
new story."

Franks called upon his sister and Florence Aylmer on the evening of the
day when the editor of the _Argonaut_ made this remark: he found them
both in his sister's comfortable room. Florence was reclining on the
sofa, and Edith was busily engaged over some of her biological
specimens.

"Oh, dear!" said Franks, as he entered the room; "why do you bring those
horrors home, Edith?"

"They are all right; I keep them in spirit," she replied. "Don't
interrupt me; go and talk to Florence: she is in a bad humour this
evening."

"In a bad humour, are you?" said Franks. He drew a chair up, and sat at
the foot of Florence's sofa.

She was nicely dressed, her hair was fashionably arranged, she had lost
that look of hunger which had made her face almost painful to see, and
she received Franks with a coolness which was new-born within her.

"I don't know why you should be depressed," he said; "anyhow, I hope to
have the great pleasure of driving the evil spirits away. I have come
with good news."

"Indeed!" answered Florence.

"Yes; my editor, Mr. Anderson, is so pleased with your second story,
'The Judas Tree,' that he is going to raise his terms. You are to
receive three guineas a thousand words for your manuscript. It is, I
think, exactly six thousand words in length. He has asked me to hand you
a cheque to-night. Will you accept it?"

As Franks spoke, he took out his pocket-book and handed Florence a
cheque for eighteen guineas.

"You will be a rich girl before long," he said.

"It seems like it," she answered. She glanced at the cheque without any
additional colour coming to her face, and laid it quietly on a little
table by her side.

"And now, Miss Aylmer, there is something I specially want you to do
for me. I hope you will not refuse it."

"I will certainly do what I can," she answered.

"It is this. The _Argonaut_ is, of course, our monthly magazine. It
holds the very first position amongst the six-pennies, and has, as you
doubtless know, an enormous circulation. You will very soon be the
fashion. We are about to issue a weekly paper, a sort of review. We
trust it will eclipse even the _Spectator_ and the _Saturday_, and we
want a paper from your pen. We want it to be on a special subject--a
subject which is likely to cause attention. Can you and will you do it?
Anderson begged of me to put the question to you, and I