if my profession failed me there was Jack to fall back upon, and Jack
was substantial enough to fall back upon with no risk of hurting
oneself. He was six feet two, with broad, square shoulders, and
arms--well, when Jack's arms were round you you felt as if you did
not want anything else in the world. At least, that is how I felt.
Jack ought to have been in the Life Guards, and he would have been
only a wealthy uncle offered to do something for him, and of course
such an offer was not to be refused, and the "something" turned out
to be a clerkship in the uncle's business "with a view to a
partnership" as the advertisements say. Now the business was not a
pretty or a romantic one--it had something to do with leather--but it
was extremely profitable, and as I looked forward to one day sharing
all Jack's worldly goods I did not grumble at the leather. Not that
Jack had ever yet said a word to me which I could construe into a
downright offer. He had looked, certainly, but then with eyes like
his there is no knowing what they may imply. They were dark blue
eyes, and his hair was bright brown, with a touch of yellow in it,
and his moustache was tawny, and his skin was sunburnt to a healthy
red. We had been introduced in quite the orthodox way. We had not
fallen in love across the footlights. He seldom came to see me act,
but sometimes he would drop in to supper, perhaps on his way from a
dinner or to a dance, and if I could make him stay with us until it
was too late to go to that dance, what a happy girl I used to be!

My mother, with the circumspection that belongs to mothers, told me
that he was only flirting, and that I had better turn my attention to
somebody else. Somebody else! As if any one were worth even looking
at after Jack Curtis. I pitied every girl who was not engaged to him.
How could my sisters be happy? Resigned, content, they might be; but
to be married and done for, and afterwards to meet Jack--well,