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I Say No by Wilkie Collins
page 43 of 521 (08%)
me to help her to get an honest living. What could I do? I could
only write home to papa. He is a member of Parliament: and
everybody who wants a place seems to think he is bound to find it
for them. As it happened, he had heard from an old friend of his
(a certain Sir Jervis Redwood), who was in search of a secretary.
Being in favor of letting the women compete for employment with
the men, Sir Jervis was willing to try, what he calls, 'a
female.' Isn't that a horrid way of speaking of us? and Miss Ladd
says it's ungrammatical, besides. Papa had written back to say he
knew of no lady whom he could recommend. When he got my letter
speaking of Emily, he kindly wrote again. In the interval, Sir
Jervis had received two applications for the vacant place. They
were both from old ladies--and he declined to employ them."

"Because they were old," Francine suggested maliciously.

"You shall hear him give his own reasons, my dear. Papa sent me
an extract from his letter. It made me rather angry; and (perhaps
for that reason) I think I can repeat it word for word:--'We are
four old people in this house, and we don't want a fifth. Let us
have a young one to cheer us. If your daughter's friend likes the
terms, and is not encumbered with a sweetheart, I will send for
her when the school breaks up at midsummer.' Coarse and
selfish--isn't it? However, Emily didn't agree with me, when I
showed her the extract. She accepted the place, very much to her
aunt's surprise and regret, when that excellent person heard of
it. Now that the time has come (though Emily won't acknowledge
it), I believe she secretly shrinks, poor dear, from the
prospect."

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