He said: “After all, the words are everything.”
Ah, a writer! “Yes,” said I; “your words are everything to the public.”
“I hope so. I try to make them so,” he said modestly.
Now I felt easier, and proceeded to praise him specifically.
“Which do you like best—to make your public laugh or cry? or do you aim to instruct it?”
“It is easy to make persons laugh, so I suppose I like rather to bring them to tears. As for instruction, there are those who say it is not our province to instruct.”
“But you do all three, Mr. Cavendish.”
He bowed as if he thought I had hit it.
I said: “To those who are familiar with your work there is something that makes you just the man to pick up for a quarter of an hour.”