human
My dear Miss Lindsay, you altogether misunderstand me--entirely misunderstand me; I shall be delighted to offer you the post--delighted.
gpt
Mr. Hooper! Do you mean it? Really?
human
Certainly I mean it.
gpt
But--what did you mean when you said you'd let me know your decision?
human
I meant my decision with--with reference to--to when your duties are to commence.
gpt
Oh! Will it be very long before you want me?
human
Emphatically no. As to wanting you, I--I want you immediately. Shall we say----
gpt
To-morrow? If you could let me begin tomorrow!
human
Undoubtedly you can begin to-morrow.
gpt
At what time?
human
Shall we put it--at eleven? or would you prefer to make it twelve?
gpt
Twelve! But Eustace comes at ten.
human
Yes, Eustace comes at ten; but I don't want to put you to any inconvenience.
gpt
You don't want to put me to any inconvenience! She got up from her chair with something in her way of doing it which frightened him.
human
But I don't want you to study my convenience; in the future it will be my duty to study yours; please understand that, before all else, I wish to do my duty. I want to do a man's work and to earn a man's wage--to deserve a man's wage. Of course I know I shan't deserve it at first; but I'm going to try hard, and if you'll only give me a chance, and treat me as if I were a man, I think you'll admit that I do deserve it before very long. I know that being a woman is against me----
gpt
Really, Miss Lindsay, I can't admit that.
human
But I know it is--I learnt that long ago; and only when I have succeeded in making you forget that I am a woman shall I know that I am beginning to earn my wage--as a man. Then I am to come to-morrow with Eustace, at ten.
gpt
With Eustace? Oh yes; quite so--that is--certainly; that will suit me very well.
human
This is uncommonly awkward; ought I to have opened the door for her or not? It wouldn't have been treating her like a man, and she might have resented it. She has a way of speaking, to say nothing of looking, which takes the stiffening right out of me. I'd have given anything to have dared to ask her to lunch; but--if I had dared, anything might have happened. One thing's certain, I've been and gone and done it. I've given myself two problems to solve; one thing is, what am I to find for her to do?--for even a jobbing secretary must do something, especially when she's full of enthusiasm to the bursting-point. And the other is, how I am going to find the cash to pay her for doing it; I'll be hanged if I know which of the problems is likely to prove the most insoluble.
gpt
Well, what did he say to you?
human
He's engaged me.
gpt
Engaged you? What for?
human
As jobbing secretary.
gpt
As what?
human
As jobbing secretary.
gpt
Who to?
human
Why, to himself, of course.
gpt
He's engaged you as jobbing secretary to himself? What are you going to do?
human
How can I tell? I suppose he has something very important which he wants me to do.
gpt
Has he? Oh! When are you going to start on it?
human
To-morrow!
gpt
To-morrow? What's he going to pay you?
human
Two guineas a week; isn't it splendid? The announcement seemed to startle Mr. Gibb out of the faculty of asking further questions. She went on.
gpt
And I have to thank you for it! Only think! if it hadn't been for you such luck never would have come my way; you dear, dear boy! I should like to kiss you for it; and I will! And she did, quite heartily too, though she had to stoop to do it.
human
And out of my first two guineas I'll buy you something; what shall it be?
gpt
Nothing you could buy could ever equal what you've given me.
human
What I've given you? what have I given you?
gpt
A kiss; I never shall forget you kissed me as long as I live.
human
Eustace, you are--you are a queer boy!
gpt
Well, I call this of the nature of a startler; she must have knocked him. His jobbing secretary! What's he going to find for her to do, when there's nothing for him to do? or, for the matter of that, for me either. And two guineas a week! When the other day he sent me out to change his last fiver, and told me he'd have to make it do till quarter day, and there's still three weeks to that. Looks to me as if he'd rather overdone it.
human
Mr. Gibb, come in here!