Haven't you
thought of that?"
"Often!" answered Lauriston. "And it wouldn't do--for me, anyway. I've
made my choice. I'll stick to my pen--and swim or sink with it. And I'm
not going to sink!"
"That's the way to talk--to be sure!" said the girl. "But--keep yourself
in money, if you can. Don't go without money for three days when you've
anything you can raise money on. You see how practical I am! But you've
got to be in this world. Will you tell me something?"
"It strikes me," answered Lauriston, looking at her narrowly and bringing
the colour to her cheeks, "that I'm just about getting to this--that I'd
tell you anything! And so--what is it?"
"How much money have you left?" she asked softly.
"Precisely a shilling--and a copper or two," he answered.
"And--if that cheque doesn't arrive?" she suggested.
"Maybe I'll be walking round to Praed Street again," he said, laughing.
"I've a bit of what you call property, yet."
The girl nodded, and turned towards a side-walk that led across the
Gardens.
"All right," she said. "Don't think me inquisitive--I don't like to think
of--of people like you being hard up: I'm not wrapped up in business as
much as all that.
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