ttle accounts of exemplary careers, of heroic
deeds, and so on. Of course nothing whatever that could be really
demoralising--cela va sans dire. Well, what I was going to say was this:
would you come with me to the office of Chat, and have a talk with my
friend Lake, the sub-editor? I know your time is very valuable, but
then you're often running into the Will-o'-the-Wisp, and Chat is just
upstairs, you know.'

'What use should I be?'

'Oh, all the use in the world. Lake would pay most respectful attention
to your opinion, though he thinks so little of mine. You are a man of
note, I am nobody. I feel convinced that you could persuade the
Chat people to adopt my idea, and they might be willing to give me a
contingent share of contingent profits, if I had really shown them the
way to a good thing.'

Jasper promised to think the matter over. Whilst their talk still ran on
this subject, a packet that had come by post was brought into the room.
Opening it, Milvain exclaimed:

'Ha! this is lucky. There's something here that may interest you,
Whelpdale.'

'Proofs?'

'Yes. A paper I have written for The Wayside.' He looked at Dora, who
smiled. 'How do you like the title?--"The Novels of Edwin Reardon!"'

'You don't say so!' cried the other. 'What a good-hearted fellow you
are, Milvain! Now that's really a kind thing to have done. By Jove!
I must shake hands with you; I must indeed! Poor Reardon! Poor old
fellow!'

His eyes gleamed with moisture. Dora, observing this, looked at him so
gently and sweetly that it was perhaps well he did not meet her eyes;
the experience would have been altogether too much for him.

'It has been written for three months,' said Jasper, 'but we have held
it over for a practical reason. When I was engaged upon it, I went to
see Mortimer, and asked him if there was any chance of a new edition of
Reardon's books. He had no idea the poor fellow was dead, and the news
seemed really to affect him. He promised to consider whether it would be
worth while trying a new issue, and before long I heard from him that
he would bring out the two best books with a decent cover and so on,
provided I could get my article on Reardon into one of the monthlies.
This was soon settled. The editor of The Wayside answered at once, when
I wrote to him, that he should be very glad to print what I proposed,
as he had a real respect for Reardon. Next month the books will be
out--"Neutral Ground," and "Hubert Reed." Mo