'I'm not disturbing you, father?'
'No, dear: you never disturb me,' he said, getting up from the type-
writer and giving her his chair. 'But what is the matter?'
'Nothing, at least nothing in particular. I got tired of the drawing-
room, and thought I'd like to come and sit with you. But I've taken
your chair.'
'It doesn't matter. I can stand, I've been sitting so long.'
'But no, father, I can't take your chair. I don't want to stop you
from working. I thought I'd like to sit and watch you. Here, take your
chair.'
'I can get another. I can get one out of the butler's room. He won't
mind just for once. He's a very particular man. But I'll tell him I
took it for you.'
The Major returned a moment after with a chair. He gave it to Agnes
and resumed his place at the machine.
'I shan't be many minutes before I finish this lot,' he said; 'then we
shall be able to talk. I promised to get them finished this evening.'
She had never seen a type-writing machine at work before, and admired
the nimbleness with which his fingers struck the letters, and the
dexterity with which he passed fresh sheets of paper under the roller.
When he had finished and was gathering the sheets together, she
said,--
'How clever you are.'
'I think I picked it up pretty quickly. I can do seventy words a
minute. Some typists can do eighty, but my fingers are too old for
that. Still, seventy is a good average, and I have hardly any
corrections to make. They are very pleased with my work.... I'll teach
you--you'd soon pick it up.'
'Will you, father? Then I should be able to assist you. We could sit
together, you in that corner, I in this. I wonder if mother would buy
me a machine. I could pay her back out of the money I earned, just
like you.'
'Your mother would say you were wasting your time. You've come home,
she'd say, to go into society, and not to learn type-writing.'
'I'm afraid she would. But father, there is no use my going into
society. I shall never get on in society. Last night at Lord
Chiselhurst's----'
'Yes; tell me about it. You must have enjoyed yourself there.'