about it. The publishers themselves were evidently in doubt as to its reception, and signified their caution by economy in the way of advertisement--it was not placarded in the newspaper columns as "A Book of the Century" or "A New Literary Event." It simply glided into the crowd of books without noise or the notice of reviewers--just one of a pushing, scrambling, shouting multitude,--and quite suddenly found itself the centre of the throng with all eyes upon it, and all tongues questioning the how, when and where of its author. No one could say how it first began to be thus busily talked about,--the critics had bestowed upon it nothing of either their praise or blame,--yet somehow the ball had been set rolling, and it gathered size and force as it rolled, till at last the publishers woke up to the fact that they had, by merest chance, hit upon a "paying concern." They at once assisted in the general chorus of delight and admiration, taking wider space in the advertisement columns of the press for the "work of genius" which had inadvertently fallen into their hands--but when it came to answering the questions put to them respecting its writer they had very little to say, being themselves more or less in the dark. "The manuscript was sent to us in the usual way," the head of the firm explained to John Harrington, one of the soundest and most influential of journalists, "just on chance,--it was neither introduced nor recommended. One of our readers was immensely taken with it and advised us to accept it. The author gave no name, and merely requested all communications to be made through his secretary, a Miss Armitage, as he wished for the time being to remain anonymous. We drew up an Agreement on these lines which was signed for the author by Miss Armitage,--she also corrected and passed the proofs--" "Perhaps she also wrote the book," interrupted Harrington, with an amused twinkle in his eyes--"I suppose such a solution of the mystery has not occurred to you?" The publisher smiled. "Under different circumstances it might have done so," he replied, "but we have seen Miss Armitage several times--she is quite a young girl, not at all of the 'literary' type, though she is very careful and accurate in her secretarial work--I mean as regards business letters and attention to detail. But at her age she could not have had the scholarship to produce such a book. The author shows a close familiarity with sixteenth-century literature such as could only be gained by a student of the style of that period,--Miss Armitage has nothing of the 'book-worm' about her--she is quite a simple young person--more like a bright school-girl than anything else--" "Where does she live?" asked Harrington, abruptly. The publisher looked up the address and gave it. "There it is," he said; "if you want to write to the author she will forward any letters to him."