"Now, mother, _do_ come and lie down on the sofa in the drawing-room. I
see you are out of sorts. You hardly tasted food, and you are dreadfully
tired; come and rest. I will read you to sleep."

"No, Kate; there can be no rest for me, my darling," returned her
mother, rising, and beginning to put the plates and glasses together
with a nervous movement. "I _am_ out of sorts, for I have had a great
disappointment. _The Family Friend_ has refused my three-volume novel,
and I really have not the heart to try it anywhere else after such
repeated rejections. At the same time Skinner & Palm write to say they
cannot use my short story, 'On the Rack,' for five or six months, as
they have such a quantity of already accepted manuscripts."

"How provoking!" cried Katherine. "But come away; the drawing-room is
cooler; let us go there and talk things over."

Mrs. Liddell accepted the suggestion, and sank into an arm-chair, while
her daughter let down the blinds, and then placed herself on a low
ottoman opposite her.

There was a short silence; then Mrs. Liddell sighed and began: "I
counted so much on that short story for ready money! Skinner always pays
directly he has published. Now I do not know what to do. If I take it
back I may fail to dispose of it, yet I cannot wait. But the novel--that
is the worst disappointment of all. I suppose it was foolish, but I felt
_sure_ about that."

"Of course you did," cried Katherine, eagerly. "It is an excellent
story."