A non-listener was trying to squeeze in: "And sec'--and sec'--and secon' thing--if not firs'--is guarantee! They mus' pay so much profit in advance. Else it be better to publish without a publisher, and with advertisement' front and back! Tiffany, Royal Baking-Powder, Ivory Soap it Float'! Ten thousand dolla' the page that _Ladies' 'Ome Journal_ get', and if we get even ten dolla' the page--I know a man what make that way three hundred dolla'!" "He make that net or gross?" some one asked. "Ah! I think, not counting his time _sol_-iciting those advertisement', he make it _nearly_ net." Chester made show of breaking in and three speakers at once begged him to proceed: "How much of a book," he asked Mme. Castanado, "will the manuscript make? How long is it?" She looked falteringly to her husband: "'Tis about a foot long, nine inch' wide. Marcel, pazz that to monsieur." The husband complied. Chester counted the lines of one of the pages. Madame watched him anxiously. "Tha'z too wide?" she inquired. "It isn't long enough to make a book. To do that would take--oh--seven times as much." "Ah!" Madame's voice grew in sweetness as it rose: "So much the better! So much the more room for those advertisement'!--and picture'!" "And portrait of mademoiselle!" said Mme. Alexandre, and Mme. De l'Isle smiled assent. Yet a disappointed silence followed, presently broken by the perfumer: "All the same, what is the matter to make it a pamphlet?" Beloiseau objected: "No, then you compete aggains' those magazine'. But if you permit one of those magazine' to buy it you get the advantage of all the picture' in the whole magazine." "Ah!" several demurred, "and let that magazine swallow whole all those profit' of all those advertisement'!" Chester spoke: "I have an idea--" But others had ideas and the floor besides. Castanado lifted a hand: "Frien'--our counsel." Counsel tried again: "I have a conviction that we should first offer this to a magazine--through--yes, of course, through some influential friend. If one doesn't want it another may----" Chorus: "Ho! they will all want it! That was not written laz' night! 'Tis fivty year' old; they cannot rif-use that!" "However," Chester persisted, "if they should--if all should--I'd advise----" "Frien's," Castanado pleaded, "let us hear." "I should advise that we gather together as many such old narratives as we can find, especially such as can be related to one another----" "They need not be ril-ated!" cried Dubroca. "_We_ are not ril-ated, and yet see! Ril-ated? where you are goin' to find them, ril-ated?" "Royal Street!" Scipion retorted. "Royal Street is pave' with old narration'!" "Already," said Castanado, "we chanze to have three or four. Mademoiselle has that story of her _grand'mere_, and Mr. Chezter he has--sir, you'll not care if I tell that?--Mr. Chezter has _the sequal to that_, and written by his uncle!"