“Has she let it drop easily? I thought I had left her no possible chance of resuming it.” “That is true,” his mother said, and for the time she said no more about the matter. Not long after this he came home from the magazine office and reported to her from Armiger that the story was catching on more and more with the best class of readers. The editor had shown Verrian some references to it in newspapers of good standing and several letters about it. “I thought you might like to look at the letters,” Verrian said, and he took some letters from his pocket and handed them to her across the lunch-table. She did not immediately look at them, because he went on to add something that they both felt to be more important. “Armiger says there has been some increase of the sales, which I can attribute to my story if I have the cheek.” “That is good.” “And the house wants to publish the book. They think, down there, that it will have a very pretty success--not be a big seller, of course, but something comfortable.” Mrs. Verrian’s eyes were suffused with pride and fondness. “And you can always think, Philip, that this has come to you without the least lowering of your standard, without forsaking your ideal for a moment.” “That is certainly a satisfaction.” She kept her proud and tender gaze upon him. “No one will ever know as I do how faithful you have been to your art. Did any of the newspapers recognize that--or surmise it, or suspect it?” “No, that isn’t the turn they take. They speak of the strong love interest involved in the problem. And the abundance of incident. I looked out to keep something happening, you know. I’m sorry I didn’t ask Armiger to let me bring the notices home to you. I’m not sure that I did wisely not to subscribe to that press-clippings bureau.” His mother smiled. “You mustn’t let prosperity corrupt you, Philip. Wouldn’t seeing what the press is saying of it distract you from the real aim you had in your story?” “We’re all weak, of course. It might, if the story were not finished; but as it is, I think I could be proof against the stupidest praise.” “Well, for my part, I’m glad you didn’t subscribe to the clippings bureau. It would have been a disturbing element.” She now looked down at the letters as if she were going to take them up, and he followed the direction of her eyes. As if reminded of the fact by this, he said: “Armiger asked me if I had ever heard anything more from that girl.” “Has he?” his mother eagerly asked, transferring her glance from the letters to her son’s face. “Not a word. I think I silenced her thoroughly.” “Yes,” his mother said. “There could have been no good object in prolonging the affair and letting her confirm herself in the notion that she was of sufficient importance either to you or to him for you to continue the correspondence with her. She couldn’t learn too distinctly that she had done--a very wrong thing in trying to play such a trick on you.”