“Very much,” I answered.
“Then why don’t you buy it back?”
“Not having the wherewithal to effect a change in raiment, what funds do you give me the credit of having in order to redeem jewels?”
“You have the book. You can sell the book to me and regain the ring. It means freedom, you know.”
“Is there anything else you would like besides the book?” I asked.
“No,” he answered with that long, penetrating stare. “The first book will be quite sufficient.”
“I see,” I went on. “And the writer?”
“Damn the writer. The book will never go through, so you may as well sell it to me and start afresh in better company.”
“That is your old advice.”
“And my only advice. So long as you stay with Deborah you are a failure. You have had signal examples of it in the past. She will never write another book.”