Chapter 7 - Page 2

interested
palaver, the false voice of commerce and of cant. He stared
tragically out of the window and saw the stupid rain begin to fall;

the day was duller even than his own soul, and Jersey Villas looked
so sordidly hideous that it was no wonder Mrs. Ryves couldn't endure
them. Hideous as they were he should have to tell Mrs. Bundy in the
course of the day that he was obliged to seek humbler quarters.
Suddenly he interrupted Mr. Locket; he observed to him: "I take it
that if I should make you this concession the hospitality of the
Promiscuous would be by that very fact unrestrictedly secured to me."

Mr. Locket stared. "Hospitality--secured?" He thumbed the
proposition as if it were a hard peach.

"I mean that of course you wouldn't--in courtsey, in gratitude--keep
on declining my things."

"I should give them my best attention--as I've always done in the
past."

Peter Baron hesitated. It was a case in which there would have
seemed to be some chance for the ideally shrewd aspirant in such an
advantage as he possessed; but after a moment the blood rushed into
his face with the shame of the idea of pleading for his productions
in the name of anything but their merit. It was as if he had
stupidly uttered evil of them. Nevertheless be added the
interrogation:

"Would you for instance publish my little story?"

"The one I read (and objected to some features of) the other day? Do
you mean--a--with the alteration?" Mr. Locket continued.

"Oh, no, I mean utterly without it. The pages you want altered
contain, as I explained to you very lucidly, I think, the very raison
d'etre of the work, and it would therefore, it seems to me, be an
imbecility of the first magnitude to cancel them." Peter had really
renounced all hope that his critic would understand what he meant,
but, under favour of circumstances, he couldn't forbear to taste the
luxury, which probably never again would come within his reach, of
being really plain, for one wild moment, with an editor.

Mr. Locket gave a constrained smile. "Think of the scandal, Mr.
Baron."

"But isn't this other scandal just what you're going in for?"

"It will be a great public service."

"You mean it will be a big scandal, whereas my poor story would be a
very small one, and that it's only out of a big one that money's to
be made."

Mr. Locket got up--he too had his dignity to vindicate. "Such a sum
as I offer you ought really to be an offset against all claims."

"Very good--I don't mean to make any, since you don't really care for
what I write. I take note of your offer,"