After a time she went to her desk and took out a bundle of bills and
some other letters, also an account book and a bank book. Over these she
pored for quite an hour. The clock struck nine before she looked up from
this unpleasant task, and she found her financial position anything but
satisfactory. With a weary sigh she rose and stared at herself in the
mirror over the fireplace, frowning as she did so.
"Unless I can marry the Professor at once, I don't know what will happen
to me," she mused gloomily. "I have managed very well so far, but things
are coming to a crisis. These devils," she alluded to her creditors,
"will not keep off much longer, and then the crash will come. I shall
have to leave Gartley as poor as when I came, and there will be nothing
left but the old nightmare life of despair and horror. I am getting
older every day, and this is my last chance of getting married. I must
force the Professor to have a speedy marriage. I must! I must!" and
she began to pace the tiny room in a frenzy of terror and well-founded
alarm.
As she was trying to calm herself and succeeding very badly, Jane
entered the room with a card. It proved to be that of Sir Frank Random.
"It is rather a late hour for a visit," said Mrs. Jasher to the servant.
"However, I feel so bored, that perhaps he will cheer me up. Ask him to
come in."
When Jane left, she stood still for a moment or so, trying to think why
the young man had called at so untoward an hour. But when his footsteps
were heard approaching the door, she swept the books and the bills and
the letters into the desk and locked it quickly. When Random appeared at
the door, she was just leaving the desk to greet him, and no one would
have taken the smiling, plump, well-preserved woman for the creature who
lately had looked so haggard and careworn.
"I am glad to see you, Sir Frank," said Mrs. Jasher, nodding in a
familiar manner. "Sit down in this very comfortable chair, and Jane
shall bring you some coffee and kummel."
"No, thank you," said Random in his usual stiff way, but very politely.
"I have just left the mess, where I had a good dinner."
Mrs. Jasher nodded, and sank again on the couch, which was opposite the
chair which she had selected for her visitor.
"I see you are in mess kit," she said gayly; "quite a glorified creature
to appear in my poor little parlor. Why are you not with Donna Inez? I
have heard all about your engagement from Lucy. She was here to-day with
Senorita De Gayangos."