"But I have reason to believe--to believe that there may be a concerted attempt on the part of critics to attack me!"
He had already been looking over the manuscript, and still held it in his hand.
"I don't think they will be able to hurt us much," he said confidently.
"Then it must come out _without_ a name!" she cried with sudden passion. He wished to avoid a scene; he failed to see just what her object was.
"Let me think over this, Miss Vaughan. I'll send you my decision by letter to-morrow."
"There are plenty of books," she half pleaded, "that have sold better for being brought out anonymously."
"I'll think over it, Miss Vaughan, and let you know definitely to-morrow."
Before his letter was written the printers were already at work on The Unwise Virgins. The note from him which eventually reached Cordelia was brief, but to the point. It said:
"MY DEAR MISS VAUGHAN: In reply to your inquiry of yesterday, I would state that we are reluctantly forced to abide strictly by the letter of our contract with you. It seems almost superfluous for us to point out that your name is now of such weight in the literary world that under no circumstances should we agree to any such terms as those you have been granted unless it had been most definitely understood the name of America's most illustrious author should go upon our season's lists. We are rushing work on the book; in fact, we hope to have it out by the end of the month.
Cordelia, as she read and reread this letter, dimly felt that they were crushing her to the wall. She cried out, in her bewilderment, that they were giving her no chance.
While she was still pondering over this confounding new turn of affairs she received a message from Repellier, asking if she would not drop up to his studio the following afternoon. She remembered that she and Hartley had planned to spend the afternoon in the Park. But some indefinite dread of yet meeting him face to face, a longing for some temporary escape from an ordeal which she had not the courage to go through, made her decide in favor of Repellier. But just why that stern-faced artist should want to see her she could not understand. Indeed, in her present mood she did not much care.
... We see The sorrowing gods regretfully Bar out the bird, but after all How lightly song still leaps the wall!