John Kenyon walked along Cheapside feeling very much downhearted over his
rebuff with Longworth. The pretended forgetfulness of the young man, of
course, he took at its proper value. He, nevertheless, felt very sorry
the interview had been so futile, and, instead of going back to Wentworth
and telling him his experience, he thought it best to walk off a little
of his disappointment first. He was somewhat startled when a man
accosted him; and, glancing up, he saw standing there a tall footman,
arrayed in a drab coat that came down to his heels.
'I beg your pardon, sir,' said the footman, 'but Miss Longworth would
like to speak to you.'
'Miss Longworth!' cried Kenyon, in surprise; 'where is she?'
'She is here in her carriage, sir.'
The carriage had drawn up beside the pavement, and John Kenyon looked
round in confusion to see that Miss Longworth was regarding him and the
footman with an amused air. An elderly woman sat in the carriage opposite
her, while a grave and dignified coachman, attired somewhat similarly to
the footman, kept his place like a seated statue in front. John Kenyon
took off his hat as he approached the young woman, whom he had not seen
since the last day on the steamer.
'How are you, Mr. Kenyon?' said Edith Longworth brightly, holding out her
hand to the young man by her carriage. 'Will you not step in? I want to
talk with you, and I am afraid the police will not allow us to block such
a crowded thoroughfare as Cheapside.'
As she said this, the nimble footman threw open the door of the carriage,
while John, not knowing what to say, stepped inside and took his seat.
'Holborn,' said the young woman to the coachman; then, turning to Kenyon,
she continued: 'Will you not tell me where you are going, so that I may
know where to set you down?'
'To tell the truth,' said John, 'I do not think I was going anywhere.
I am afraid I have not yet got over the delight of being back in
London again, so I sometimes walk along the streets in rather a
purposeless manner.'
'Well, you did not seem delighted when I first caught sight of you. I
thought you looked very dejected, and that gave me courage enough to ask
you to come and talk with me. I said to myself, "There is something wrong
with the mica-mine," and, with a woman's I curiosity, I wanted to know
all about it. Now tell me.'
'There is really very little to tell. We have hardly begun yet.
Wentworth is to-day looking over the figures I gave him, and I have been
making a beginning by seeing some people who I thought might be
interested in the mine.'
'And were they?'
'No; they were not.'
'Then, that was the reason you were looking so distressed.'
'I suppose it was.'
'Well, now, Mr. Kenyon, if you get discouraged after an interview with
the first person you think will be interested in the mine, what will you
do when a dozen or more people refuse to have anything to do with it?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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