It bound her to offer all literary work of any sort, that might come from her pen during the next five years, to Messrs.

Meeson at the fixed rate of seven per cent, on the published price.

Obviously, as it seemed to her, though perhaps erroneously, this clause might be stretched to include even a newspaper article, and she knew the malignant nature of Mr.Meeson well enough to be quite certain that, if possible, that would be done.

It was true she might manage to make a bare living out of her work, even at the beggarly pay of seven per cent, but Augusta was a person of spirit, and determined that she would rather starve than that Meeson should again make huge profits out of her labour.

This avenue being closed to her, she turned her mind elsewhere; but, look where she might, the prospect was equally dark.
Augusta's remarkable literary success had not been of much practical advantage to her, for in this country literary success does not mean so much as it does in some others.