"Won't you sit down, Mr. Mangan?--I want to talk to you about something of very great importance--importance to me, that is, for you know how vain young authors are. You have heard of my new book?--yes, I thought Mr. Moore must have told you. Well, it's all ready, except the title-page. I am not quite settled about the title yet; and you literary gentlemen are so quick and clever with suggestions--I am sure you will give me good advice. And I've had a number of different titles printed, to see how they look in type; what do you think of this one? At present it seems to be the favorite; it was Mr. Quirk's suggestion--" She showed him a slip with "North and South" printed on it in large letters. "I don't like it at all," Mangan said, frankly. "People will think the book has something to do with the American civil war. However, don't take my opinion at all. My connection with literature is almost infinitesimal--I'm merely a newspaper hack, you know." "What you say about the title is _quite_ right? and I am _so_ much obliged to you, Mr. Mangan," Lady Adela said, with almost pathetic emphasis. "The American war, of course; I never thought of that!" "What is Ichabod's choice?--I beg your pardon, I mean have you shown the titles to Mr. Egerton?" "I'm afraid he doesn't approve of any of them," said Lady Adela, sadly turning over the slips. "No, I suppose not; good titles went out with good fiction--when he ceased to write novels a number of years ago. May I look at the others?" She handed him the slips. "Well, now, there is one that in my poor opinion would be rather effective--'Lotus and Lily'--a pretty sound--" "Yes--perhaps," said Lady Adela, doubtfully, "but then, you see, it has not much connection with the book. The worst of it is that all the novel is printed--all but the three title-pages. Otherwise I might have called my heroine Lily--" "But I fear you could not have called your hero Lotus," said Mangan, gravely. "Not very well. However, it is no use speculating on that now, as you say. What is the next one?--'Transformation.' Of course you know that Hawthorne wrote a book under that title, Lady Adela?" "Yes," said she, cheerfully. "But there's no copyright in America; so why shouldn't I take the title if it suits?" He hesitated; there seemed to be some ethical point here; but he fell back on base expediency. "It is a mistake for two authors to use the same title--I'm sure it is," said he. "Look at the confusion. The reviewers might pass over your novel, thinking it was only a new edition of Hawthorne's book." "Yes, that's quite true," said Lady Adela, thoughtfully. "Well, here is one," he continued. "'Sicily and South Kensington;' that's odd; that's new; that might take the popular fancy."