But I shall be obliged if you will read the first few
sentences." He read them, the girl standing watching him.
"Now," said she, "do you understand?" She took the pages
from his hand and returned them to the envelope.
"Yes, miss--it's certainly interesting, but--"
"Be quite sure you understand," said Elfrida, as the
ground-glass door closed behind her.
Before she reached the foot of the staircase she was in
a passion of tears. She leaned, against the wall in the
half darkness of the passage, shaking with sobs, raging
with anger and pity, struggling against her own contempt.
Gradually she gained a hold upon herself, and as she
dried her eyes finally she lost all feeling but a heavy
sense of failure. She sat down faintly on the lowest
step, remembering that she had eaten nothing since
breakfast, and fanned her flushed face with the sheets
of her manuscript. She preferred that even the unregarding
London streets should not see the traces of her distress.
She was still sitting there, ten minutes later, when the
door opened and threw the gray light from outside over
her. She had found her feet before Mr. Curtis had fairly
seen her. He paused, astonished, with his gloved hand
upon the knob.
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