eye-glass, looking his sweetest at the young person standing before him.
'Oh no, sir,' she said, 'I'm not at all offended, and I thank you very much, very much indeed, sir, and I would like to ask you a question, if you wouldn't think me too bold.'
'Bold?' cried William. 'Why, I think you are the shyest little woman I have ever seen. I'll be very pleased to answer any question you may ask me. What is it?'
'You see, sir, I've got a little money of my own.'
'Well, I declare, Susy, this is very interesting. I'd no idea you were an heiress.'
'Oh, not an heiress, sir—far from it. It's only a little matter of four or five hundred pounds, sir,' said Susy, dropping him an awkward little curtsy, which he thought most charming. 'The money is in the bank, and earns no interest, and I thought I would like to invest it where it would bring in something.'
'Certainly, Susy, and a most laudable desire on your part. Was it about that you wished to question me?'
'Yes, if you please, sir. I saw this paper on your desk, and I thought I would ask you if it would be safe for me to put my money in these mines, sir. Seeing the paper here, I supposed you had something to do with it.'
William whistled a long incredulous note, and said:
'So you have been reading my papers, have you, miss?'
'Oh no, sir,' said the girl, looking up at him with startled eyes. 'I only saw the name Canadian Mica-mine on this, and the paper said it would pay ten per cent., and I thought if you had anything to do with it that my money would be quite safe.'
'Oh, that goes without saying,' said William; 'but if I were you, my dear, I should not put my money in the mica-mine.'
'Oh, then, you haven't anything to do with the mine, sir?'
'Yes, Susy, I have. You know, fools build houses, and wise men live in them.'
'So I have heard,' said Susy thoughtfully.
'Well, two fools are building the house that we will call the Canadian Mica-mine, and I am the wise man, don't you see, Susy?' said the young man, with a sweet smile.
'I'm afraid I don't quite understand, sir.'
'I don't suppose, Susy,' replied the young man, with a laugh, 'that there are many who do; but I think in a month's time I shall own this mica-mine, and then, my dear, if you still want to own a share or two, I shall be very pleased to give you a few without your spending any money at all.'
'Oh, would you, sir?' cried Susy in glad surprise; 'and who owns the mine now?'
'Oh, two fellows; you wouldn't know their names if I told them to you.'
'And are they going to sell it to you, sir?'
William laughed heartily, and said:
'Oh no! they themselves will be sold.'
'But how can that be if they don't own the mine? You see, I'm only a very stupid girl, and don't understand business. That's why I asked you about my money.'
'I don't suppose you know what an option is, do you, Susy?'
'No, sir, I don't; I never heard of it before.'
'Well, these two young men have what is called an option on the mine, which is to say that they are to pay a certain sum of money at a certain time and the mine is theirs; but if they don't pay the certain sum at the certain time, the mine isn't theirs.'
'And won't they pay the money, sir?'
'No, Susy, they will not, because, don't you know, they haven't got it. Then these two fools will be sold, for they think they are going to get the money, and they are not.'
'And you have the money to buy the mine when the option runs out, sir.'
'By Jove!' said William in surprise, 'you have a prodigious head for business, Susy; I never saw anyone pick it up so fast. You will have to take lessons from me, and go on the market and speculate yourself.'
'Oh, I should like to do that, sir—I should indeed.'
'Well,' said William kindly, 'whenever you have time, come to me, and I will give you lessons.'
The young man approached her, holding out his hand, but the girl slipped away from him and opened the door.
'I think,' he said in a whisper, 'that you might give me a kiss after all this valuable information.'
'Oh, Mr. William!' cried Susy, horrified.
He stepped forward and tried to catch her, but the girl was too nimble for him, and sprang out into the passage.
'Surely,' protested William, 'this is getting information under false pretences; I expected my fee, you know.'
'And you shall have it,' said the girl, laughing softly, 'when I get ten per cent. on my money.'
'Egad!' said William to himself as he entered his room again, 'I will see that you get it. She's as clever an outside broker.'
When young Longworth had left for his office, Susy swept and dusted out his room again, and then went downstairs.
'Where's the mistress?' she asked a fellow-servant.
'In the library,' was the answer, and to the library Susy went, entering the room without knocking, much to the amazement of Edith Longworth, who sat near the window with a book in her lap. But further surprise was in store for the lady of the house. The housemaid closed the door, and then, selecting a comfortable chair, threw herself down into it, exclaiming:
'Oh dear me! I'm so tired.'
'Susy,' said Miss Longworth, 'what is the meaning of this?'
'It means, mum,' said Susy, 'that I'm going to chuck it.'
'Going to what?' asked Miss Longworth, amazed.
'Going to chuck it. Didn't you understand? Going to give up my situation. I'm tired of it.'
'Very well,' said the young woman, rising, 'you may give notice in the proper way. You have no right to come into this room in this impudent manner. Be so good as to go to your own room.'
'My!' said Susy, 'you can do the dignified! I must practise and see if I can accomplish an attitude like that. If you were a little prettier, Miss Longworth, I should call that striking;' and the girl threw back her head and laughed.
Something in the laugh aroused Miss Longworth's recollection, and a chill of fear came over her; but, looking at the girl again, she saw she was mistaken. Susy jumped up, still laughing, and drew a pin from the little cap she wore, flinging it on the chair; then she pulled off her wig, and stood before Edith Longworth her natural self.
'Miss Brewster!' gasped the astonished Edith. 'What are you doing in my house in that disguise?'
'Oh,' said Jennie, 'I'm an amateur housemaid. How do you think I have acted the part? Now sit down, Miss Dignity, and I will tell you something about your own family. I thought you were a set of rogues, and now I can prove it.'
'Will you leave my house this instant?' cried Edith, in anger. 'I shall not listen to you.'
'Oh yes, you will,' said Jennie, 'for I shall follow your own example, and not let you out until you do hear what I have to tell you.'
Saying which the amateur housemaid skipped nimbly to the door, and placed her back against it.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Jennie Brewster stood with her back to the door, a sweet smile on her face.
'This is my day for acting, Miss Longworth. I think I did the rôle of housemaid so well that it deceived several members of this family. I am now giving an imitation of yourself in your thrilling drama, "All at Sea."