The Professor continued to stare. "I--what can I do about it?" he
stammered.

"Do? Why write another like it--go it one better: you know the
trick. The public isn't tired of you by any means; but you want to
make yourself heard again before anybody else cuts in. Write another
book--write two, and we'll sell them in sets in a box: The Vital
Thing Series. That will take tremendously in the holidays. Try and
let us have a new volume by October--I'll be glad to give you a big
advance if you'll sign a contract on that."

The Professor sat silent: there was too cruel an irony in the
coincidence.

Harviss looked up at him in surprise.

"Well, what's the matter with taking my advice--you're not going out
of literature, are you?"

The Professor rose from his chair. "No--I'm going into it," he said
simply.

"Going into it?"

"I'm going to write a real book--a serious one."

"Good Lord! Most people think 'The Vital Thing' 's serious."

"Yes--but I mean something different."