The Press., 1895-12-12
SHE WAS RIGHT.

Aubrey EV0rQ000 1OOKoO out upon Sackville street and yawned. Only an instant before he had written ''Finis" to an article with dash of the pen across the last sheet, and now the man. uscript lay ready for the post among the debris of printers proofs, new nov els awaiting review, etc., with which the writing table was strewn.
 One of the best known itterateurS in London and a brilliant conversational ist, his tongue could be as scathing as his pen, and it was said of him with Ee-; gard to the latter weapon of warfare that in half dozen polished sentences he could do more toward damning a book than any two of his compeers. A big, loosely made man, MT. Everdene' with shrewd, gray eyes and the pess1- mism of modern. Studying his face as he lounged by the window, his hands in the pockets of his smoking jacket, one could see that he had lively sense of humor combined with his other char acteristics and understood the interest his personality aroused.
 Presently servant brought him visiting card on a salver. "The lady would be obliged if you would grant her an interview, sir.
 "Lady Hilyard, muttered Everdene, reading the inscription. II can't recall the name Bother the womanl What does she want? However-ask her to come up, Blake"
 When she entered, a fair, elegant woman of perhaps five and twenty, in an irreproachable Parisian toilet, he was still more convinced that he had not the privilege of her acquaintance.
 "Mr. Aubrey Everdene?' she queried.
 MT. Everdene bowed.
 "Pray take seat, madam.
 "No,'' she said. ''I have come to quarrel with you, and I don't sit down in the houses of my enemies. :"
 "To quarrel with meW His eyebrows went up. The thought came to him that his visitor was not in her right mind
 "Yes. Perhaps had better explain myself at once. I am the author of Fashion and Footlghts. :"
 Fashion and Footlghts, he re- fected aloud. "'Fashion and Foot lights. Hap
 Comprehension stole over his face, and with it a slight amusement. He fished among a pile of volumes and brought out three bound with an ele- gance destined to win the hearts of sub urban circulating libraries.
 "Here it is. I reviewed it in The Centnrian, didn't IF"
 "No," she said, "you hanged and l quartered it!''
 ''I am sorryI May ask how you found out that was the culprit2'
 "Oh, by accident! It's long story and unimportant, since you don't deny the 1naputotinn. Now, MT. Everdene, know it is very impertinent of me, 6 stranger, to come to your private ad' dress and worry you. I am doing very unusual thing. am afraid, and Mrs, Grundy would be horr1f1ed. But '3ooI rush in,' you know, and widows arC privileged! You must have little pa tience with me, because flor the firs time her lips relaxed, and she smiled { smile that was sweetness itseh-"we1l just because I'm a woman and you re { gentleman! Acknowledge the truth now on your honor. Don't you think yo1 were unnecessarily harsh to my poor lit tie literary effort?'
 "No," he said bluntly. "I alway, give my true opinion of things, and consider your book had many faults. "
 If she had been man, he would have said, "I thought it was excessively bad, " with the brusqueness of convic tion, and probably declined to discus the matter. But to lady it was impos sible to be rude. He regarded her sb surdly unconventional presence with { tolerant hndliness.
 "Of course admit that there arr faults, but upon one or two points il your criticism cannot agree with you should very much like to discuss then with you, May I?''