your writings I should
like to know whether you are able to fulfil them."

"That sounds in the nature of a bargain," here burst from Poppy's
lips. "Now, Miss Jasmine, please will you listen very sharp, and see
what the gentleman is after? Bargains seem to me to be all in favor of
them that makes them. Aunt Flint made a bargain with me, and, oh my! I
thought it good enough to leave the country and come up to a town
whose name is wanity. Nothing have I got, Miss Jasmine, from my share
of the bargain but a swimming head and the name of Sarah!"

"If this young person will cease to interrupt us," proceeded the
editor, in his blandest tones.

"Oh, yes; Poppy, please stop talking," said Jasmine. "I beg your
pardon, sir; I only wanted Poppy to help me when we came to terms. We
have not come to the money part yet, dear Poppy. Yes, sir, I am most
anxious to listen to you."

"Well, Miss Mainwaring, the facts are these--yes, I fear it is a
question of money, after all. _The Joy-bell_ is a new magazine; we are
most anxious to extend its circulation by every means in our power. We
have hit on what we consider a novel, but effective expedient. Each
contributor to our pages is expected to subscribe for a hundred copies
per month of our magazine--these copies he is asked to disseminate as
widely as possible amongst his friends. The magazine is only sixpence
a month. Of course you get your friends to take the copies off your
hands. Your story will, I think, run for six months--you are really
put to no expense, for, of course, you must know a hundred people who
will gladly take a magazine in which you appear. Thus you gain the
advantage of having your story widely read and published not at your
own expense."

"But please--" began Jasmine.

"If I might speak who am brought here for the purpose," here burst
from Poppy, "what pay is the young lady to have for the words of
genius that she has wrote upon the paper? Yes, Miss Jasmine, you said
I was to let my voice be heard here--I'm not afraid, not of nobody,
and here, I puts down my foot, and I says, 'What's the pay?'"

"The pay?" echoed the editor. "Surely the young lady does not expect
to be paid for anything so very amateur--no, she cannot expect to be
paid in money--in another way she is paid, and largely; she obtains a
reputation, and what immature talent she has is brought to the fore! I
am afraid, Miss Mainwaring, I must not take up any more of your
valuable time--I think I h