Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/248

The Story of the House of Cassell

Shall I? Anyway, I'll turn the page first. NO—well—A hundred pounds, all alive, O! A hundred jingling, tingling, golden, minted quid. Is not this wonderful? …—Your loving and ecstatic Son, Treasure Eilaan."

 

It is curious to notice that Stevenson was so enraptured with the prospect of receiving a round hundred pounds on publication that he ignored the fact that that sum was to be on account of royalty. It may be that he omitted this prosaic fact because it would not fit into his dithyramb. But it is more probable that he had so little faith in the success of the book that he did not reckon upon the sale reaching a point at which royalty would bring him still more of the "jingling, tingling, golden, minted quid." Certainly, he had at that time a very poor opinion of "Treasure Island," and Mr. Edmund Gosse tells us that the story, after its serial publication, had a narrow chance of being forgotten. From that fate it was saved by Henley's good offices.

It has been stated that the title of the book was changed to "Treasure Island" by Mr. James Henderson. On this point Mr. James Dow, who read the proofs of the story for Young Folks, bears the following testimony:

 

"Mr. Stevenson wrote on a sheet of notepaper (not his usual copy paper) four alternative titles—evidently for Mr. Henderson's selection—the first of which was 'The Sea Cook; or the Voyage of the Hispaniola.' All but the first were cancelled, and that was put in type as the heading of the story, though I was informed that it was only temporary, as the correct title would be supplied later. Eight or ten days afterwards I received from Mr. Henderson a slip proof on which he had deleted 'The Sea Cook' and above it written 'Treasure Island'; and so the story went to press."

 

Mr. Dow adds that in an interview he had with Stevenson he referred to a remark in the Saturday Review critique of the book—that "John Silver, Pirate," would not have been an inappropriate title, and that Stevenson replied, "But Mr. James Henderson wished the title to be 'Treasure Island,' and I deferred to him; he is the

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