'I, my dear boy. I mean in future to be the active working and contriving partner in the firm. I have the plans and method worked out already in my head. You struck out, I must say, a line of audacity. There is something novel about it. But your plan wanted elasticity. You kept a ghost. Well, I suppose other people have done this before. You kept three or four ghosts, each in his own line. Nobody thought of setting up as the Universal Genius before--at least, not to my knowledge. But, then, you placed your whole dependence upon your one single family of ghosts. Once deprived of him--whether your painter, your poet, your story-teller--and where were you? Lost! You are stranded. This has happened to you now. Your paper is to come out as usual, and you have got nothing to put into it. Your patrons will be flocking to your studio, and you have got nothing to show. You have made a grievous blunder. Now, Alec, I am going to remedy all this.' 'You?' 'You shall see what I am capable of doing. You shall no longer waste your time and money in going about to great houses. Your wife shall have her _salon_, which shall be a centre of action far more useful and effective. You shall become, through her help, a far greater leader, with a far greater name, than you have ever dreamed of. And your paper shall be a bigger thing.' 'You, Zoe? You to talk like this?' 'You thought I was a helpless creature because I never succeeded on the stage, and could not even carry out your poor little schemes upon Armorel's purse, I suppose, and because I---- Well, you shall be undeceived.' 'If I could only believe this!'