s very poor pay. It makes a very good stick, but a bad crutch; and
I don't think you can expect to increase your income very largely from
that quarter! The only author I ever knew personally, sank into it,
poor fellow, because he could do nothing else; and, _he_ led a wretched
existence from hand to mouth! He was never recognised afterwards in
society, of course!"

"Genius is not always acknowledged at first, Mrs Clyde," I said
loftily.

Her sneers at the profession, which I regarded as one of the highest in
the world, provoked me.

Fancy her calling all authors "penny-a-liners!"

"So, all unsuccessful men say!" she replied curtly.--"But,"--she went
on, putting aside all my literary prospects as beneath her notice, and
returning to the main point at issue,--"is _that_ all you have got to
depend upon for your anticipated wife and establishment?"

She smiled sweetly, playing with me as a cat would with a mouse.

"All I have, certainly, at present, Mrs Clyde,"--I said, abashed at the
sarcasm thus directed against my miserable income, which she did not
take the slightest pains to conceal.--"But I shall have more by-and-by.
We are both young; and, if you will only give me some hope of gaining
your consent, when I have achieved what you may consider sufficient for
the purpose, I will work for her and win her. O Mrs Clyde!"--I
pleaded,--"let me only have the assurance that you will allow her to
wait for me. I will work most nobly that I may deserve her!"

"All this is mere rhapsody, Mr Lorton,"--she said in her icy accents,
throwing a shower of metaphorical cold water on my earnest
enthusiasm.--"Do you seriously think for a moment that I would give my
consent to my daughter's engagement to you in your present position?"

"I hoped so, Mrs Clyde," I replied, timidly.

I did not know what else to say.

"Then you hoped wrongly," she said. "You are really _very_ young, Mr
Lorton! I do not mean merely in years, but in knowledge of the world!
You positively wish me to sacrifice all my daughter's prospects, and let
her be bound to a wearisome engagement, on the mere chance of your being
able at some distant period to marry her! Do I understand you aright?
I certainly gave you credit for possessing more good sense, Mr Lorton,
or I should never have admitted you to my house."

"O, Mrs Clyde," I said, "be considerate! Be merciful! Remember, that
_you_ were young once."

"I am considerate," she answered--"still, I