. On the last word his
voice failed, and he fell into abstraction. Marian's look was fixed upon
him, and he became conscious of it. He tried to smile.

'What were you writing?' she asked, making involuntary diversion from
the calamitous theme.

'Rubbish for the Will-o'-the-Wisp. Listen to this paragraph about
English concert audiences.'

It was as necessary to him as to her to have a respite before the graver
discussion began. He seized gladly the opportunity she offered, and read
several pages of manuscript, slipping from one topic to another. To hear
him one would have supposed that he was in his ordinary mood; he laughed
at his own jokes and points.

'They'll have to pay me more,' was the remark with which he closed. 'I
only wanted to make myself indispensable to them, and at the end of
this year I shall feel pretty sure of that. They'll have to give me two
guineas a column; by Jove! they will.'

'And you may hope for much more than that, mayn't you, before long?'

'Oh, I shall transfer myself to a better paper presently. It seems to me
I must be stirring to some purpose.'

He gave her a significant look.

'What shall we do, Jasper?'

'Work and wait, I suppose.'

'There's something I must tell you. Father said I had better sign that
Harrington article myself. If I do that, I shall have a right to the
money, I think. It will at least be eight guineas. And why shouldn't I
go on writing for myself--for us? You can help me to think of subjects.'

'First of all, what about my letter to your father? We are forgetting
all about it.'

'He refused to answer.'

Marian avoided closer description of what had happened. It was partly
that she felt ashamed of her father's unreasoning wrath, and feared
lest Jasper's pride might receive an injury from which she in turn
would suffer; partly that she was unwilling to pain her lover by making
display of all she had undergone.

'Oh, he refused to reply! Surely that is extreme behaviour.'

What she dreaded seemed to be coming to pass. Jasper stood rather
stiffly, and threw his head back.

'You know the reason, dear. That prejudice has entered into his very
life. It is not you he dislikes; that is impossible. He thinks of you
only as he would of anyone connected with Mr Fadge.'

'Well, well; it isn't a matter of much moment. But what I have in mind
is this. Will it be possible for you, whilst living at home, to take a
position of independence, and say that you are goi