The Safety Pin by J.S. Fletcher

While Simmons Hackdale slept soundly and Jane Pratt cried herself to sleep as a result of her fit of mingled jealousy, anger, and revenge, Shelmore lay awake, sorely perplexed by what he had heard from the parlourmaid. He was not altogether surprised at her news about Simmons: for some time he had realised that his clerk was a crafty and astute young person, of great natural ability, who would, probably, and sooner or later, arrive at a turning point in life and be obliged to decide whether he would abide by a straight road or deviate into a crooked one.

Nor was he surprised by what he had heard of Miss Cynthia Pretty. He and his aunt had shown considerable hospitality to that young lady and had consequently seen a great deal of her, and Shelmore had come to the conclusion that she was not only resolved on having her own way about anything and everything, but was also a flirt who might easily develop into a female rake. In a strictly professional way, he had advised Miss Pretty to go home to Camborne and leave matters to him; Miss Pretty had made a mouth and intimated that she was quite well where she was, for a time, and had let him see plainly that she loved liberty, and knew that nobody could prevent her from exercising it. No!--there was nothing in all that to surprise him; he was conscious of the fact that Miss Pretty had tried to flirt with him and that he had remained severely cold: no wonder, then, that she had turned to his clerk, who, as he well knew, would be as plausible as he was crafty, and as ingratiating as he was sly. He was not sure that Sim Hackdale and Cynthia Pretty would not make a well-matched, materialistic young couple.