THE NEXT TIME
203
"Therefore," I inquired with a flash of hope, "they'll offer him more for worse?"
"No indeed," she answered, "they haven't even offered him to go on at a reduction. He isn't funny enough."
I reflected a moment. "But surely such a thing as his notice of my book———!"
"It was your wretched book that was the last straw! He should have treated it superficially."
"Well, if he didn't!———" I began. Then I checked myself. "Je vous porte malheur."
She didn't deny this; she only went on: "What on earth is he to do?"
"He's to do better than the monkeys! He's to write!"
"But what on earth are we to marry on?"
I considered once more. "You're to marry on The Major Key."
