EllaMarchmill，sittingdownaloneafewminuteslater，thoughtwithinterestedsurpriseofRobertTrewe。Herownlatterhistorywillbestexplainthatinterest。Herselftheonlydaughterofastrugglingmanofletters，shehadduringthelastyearortwotakentowritingpoems，inanendeavourtofindacongenialchannelinwhichtoletflowherpainfullyembayedemotions，whoseformerlimpidityandsparkleseemeddepartinginthestagnationcausedbytheroutineofapracticalhouseholdandthegloomofbearingchildrentoacommonplacefather。Thesepoems，subscribedwithamasculinepseudonym，hadappearedinvariousobscuremagazines，andintwocasesinratherprominentones。Inthesecondofthelatterthepagewhichborehereffusionatthebottom，insmallishprint，boreatthetop，inlargeprint，afewversesonthesamesubjectbythisveryman，RobertTrewe。Bothofthemhad，infact，beenstruckbyatragicincidentreportedinthedailypapers，andhaduseditsimultaneouslyasaninspiration，theeditorremarkinginanoteuponthecoincidence，andthattheexcellenceofbothpoemspromptedhimtogivethemtogether。
AfterthateventElla，otherwise’JohnIvy，’hadwatchedwithmuchattentiontheappearanceanywhereinprintofversebearingthesignatureofRobertTrewe，who，withaman’sunsusceptibilityonthequestionofsex，hadneveroncethoughtofpassinghimselfoffasawoman。Tobesure，Mrs。Marchmillhadsatisfiedherselfwithasortofreasonfordoingthecontraryinhercase；thatnobodymightbelieveinherinspirationiftheyfoundthatthesentimentscamefromapushingtradesman’swife，fromthemotherofthreechildrenbyamatter-of-factsmall-armsmanufacturer。
Trewe’sversecontrastedwiththatoftherankandfileofrecentminorpoetsinbeingimpassionedratherthaningenious，luxuriantratherthanfinished。Neithersymbolistenordecadent，hewasapessimistinsofarasthatcharacterappliestoamanwholooksattheworstcontingenciesaswellasthebestinthehumancondition。
Beinglittleattractedbyexcellencesofformandrhythmapartfromcontent，hesometimes，whenfeelingoutranhisartisticspeed，perpetratedsonnetsinthelooselyrhymedElizabethanfashion，whicheveryright-mindedreviewersaidheoughtnottohavedone。
Withsadandhopelessenvy，EllaMarchmillhadoftenandoftenscannedtherivalpoet’swork，somuchstrongerasitalwayswasthanherownfeeblelines。Shehadimitatedhim，andherinabilitytotouchhislevelwouldsendherintofitsofdespondency。Monthspassedawaythus，tillsheobservedfromthepublishers’listthatTrewehadcollectedhisfugitivepiecesintoavolume，whichwasdulyissued，andwasmuchorlittlepraisedaccordingtochance，andhadasalequitesufficienttopayfortheprinting。