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the money matters of most writing people are a little embarrassed."

Augusta winced, and Mr. Meeson, rising heavily from his chair, went to a large safe which stood near, and extracted from it a bundle of agreements. These he glanced at one by one till he found what he was looking for.

"Here is the agreement," he said; "let me see? ah, I thought so-copyright fifty pounds, half proceeds of rights of translation, and a clause binding you to offer any future work you may produce during the next five years to our house on the seven per cent. agreement, or a sum not exceeding one hundred pounds for the copyright. Now, Miss Smithers, what have you to say? You signed this paper of your own free will. It so happens that we have made a large profit on your book: indeed, I don't mind telling you that we have got as much as we gave you back from America for the sale of the American rights; but that is no ground for your coming to ask more money than you agreed to accept. I never heard of such a thing in the whole course of my professional experience; never!" and he paused, and once more eyed her sternly.

"At any rate, there ought to be something to come to me from the rights of translation-I saw in the paper that the book was to be translated into French and German," said Augusta faintly.

"Oh! yes, no doubt-Eustace, oblige me by touching the bell."

The young gentleman did so, and a tall, melancholylooking clerk appeared.

"No. 18," snarled Mr. Meeson, in the tone of peculiar amiability that he reserved for his employés, "make out the translation account of 'Jemima's Vow,' and fill up a cheque of balance due to the author."

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No. 18 vanished like a thin, unhappy ghost, and Mr. Meeson once more addressed the girl before him. If you want money, Miss Smithers," he said, "you had better write us another book. I am not going to deny that your work is good work-a little too deep, and not quite orthodox enough, perhaps; but still good. I tested it myself when it came to hand-which is a thing I don't often do-and saw it was good selling quality, and you see I didn't make a mistake. believe

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Jemima's Vow' will sell twenty thousand

without stopping-here's the account."

As he spoke the spectre-like clerk put down a neatlyruled bit of paper and an unsigned cheque on the desk before his employer, and then smiled a shadowy smile and vanished.

Mr. Meeson glanced through the account, signed the cheque, and handed it, together with the account, to Augusta, who proceeded to read it. It ran thus:

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Augusta looked, and then slowly crumpled up the cheque in her hand.

"If I understand, Mr. Meeson," she said, "you have sold the two rights of translation of my book, which you persuaded me to leave in your hands, for £14; out of which I am to receive £3, Is.?”

"Yes, Miss Smithers. Will you be so kind as to sign the receipt; the fact is that I have a good deal of business to attend to."

"No, Mr. Meeson," said Augusta, rising to her feet and looking exceedingly handsome and imposing in her anger. 66 'No; I will not sign the receipt, and I will not take this cheque. And, what is more, I will not write you any more books. You have entrapped me. You have taken advantage of my ignorance and

inexperience, and entrapped me so that for five years I shall be nothing but a slave to you, and, although I am now one of the most popular writers in the country, shall be obliged to accept a sum for my books upon which I cannot live. Do you know that yesterday I was offered a thousand pounds for the copyright of a book like Jemima's Vow'?-it's a large sum; but I have the letter. Yes, and I have the book in manuscript now; and if I could publish it I should be lifted out of poverty, together with my poor little sister!" and she gave a sob. "But," she went on, "I cannot publish it, and I will not let you have it and be treated like this; I had rather starve. I will publish nothing for five years, and I will write to the papers and say why-because I have been cheated, Mr. Meeson!" "Be care

"Cheated!" thundered the great man.

ful, young lady; mind what you are saying. I have a witness-Eustace, you hear, 'cheated!' Eustace,

'cheated!"

"I hear," said Eustace grimly.

"Yes, Mr. Meeson, I said 'cheated;' and I will repeat it, whether I am locked up for it or not. Good morning, Mr. Meeson," and she bowed to him, and then suddenly burst into a flood of tears.

In a minute Eustace was by her side.

"Don't cry, Miss Smithers; for Heaven's sake, don't. I can't bear to see it," he said.

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"I will publish nothing for five years because I have been cheated, Mr. Meeson."-Page 12.

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