and she laughed in his face

"They gave me none. They gave me my month's cheque and just told me to go off, and off I came like the well-disciplined wage-earner I am." "But it is monstrous," he said indignantly. "I will go and see them. I know one of the heads of the firm--at least, he is a patient of mine." "You will do nothing of the kind," she replied firmly. "It really doesn't matter." "What are you going to do? By Jove!" he said suddenly, "what a splendid idea! I want a clinical secretary." The humour of it got the better of her, and she laughed in his face. "What is the joke?" he asked. "Oh, I am so sorry, doctor, but you mustn't think I am ungrateful, but I am beginning to regard myself as one of the plums in the labour market." "Have you another position?" he asked quickly. "I have just accepted one," she said, and he did not disguise his disappointment, which might even have been interpreted, were Oliva more conceited, into absolute chagrin. "You are very quick," said he, and his voice had lost some of its enthusiasm. "What position have you taken?" "I am going into an office in the city," she said. "That will be dull. If you have settled it in your mind, of course, I cannot alter your decision, but I would be quite willing to give you L5 or L6 a week, and the work would be very light." She held out her hand, and there was a twinkle in her eye. "London is simply filled with people who want to give me L5 a week for work which is very light; really I am awfully grateful to you, doctor." She felt more cheerful as she mounted the stairs than she thought would have been possible had such a position been forecast and had she to speculate upon the attitude of mind with which she would meet such a misfortune. Punsonby's, for all the humiliation of her dismissal, seemed fairly unimportant. Some day she would discover the circumstances which had decided the high gods who presided over the ready-made clothing business in their action.