Page:Hilda Wade (1900).pdf/48

We sat and talked together, we four, for some time. I found the young man with the lugubrious countenance improved immensely on closer acquaintance. His talk was clever. He turned out to be the son of a politician high in office in the Canadian Government, and he had been educated at Oxford. The father, I gathered, was rich, but he himself was making an income of nothing a year just then as a briefless barrister, and he was hesitating whether to accept a post of secretary that had been offered him in the colony, or to continue his negative career at the Inner Temple, for the honour and glory of it.

'Now, which would you advise me, Miss Tepping?' he inquired, after we had discussed the matter some minutes.

Daphne's face flushed up. 'It is so hard to decide,' she answered. 'To decide to your best advantage, I mean, of course. For naturally all your English friends would wish to keep you as long as possible in England.'

'No, do you think so?' the gawky young man jerked out with evident pleasure. 'Now, that's awfully kind of you. Do you know, if you tell me I ought to stay in England, I've half a mind . . . I'll cable over this very day and refuse the appointment.'

Daphne flushed once more. 'Oh, please don't!' she exclaimed, looking frightened. 'I shall be quite distressed if a stray word of mine should debar you from accepting a good offer of a secretaryship.'

'Why, your least wish———' the young man began—then checked himself hastily—'must be always important,' he went on, in a different voice, 'to everyone of your acquaintance.'

Daphne rose hurriedly. 'Look here, Hilda,' she said, a little tremulously, biting her lip, 'I have to go out into