The girl smiled. “Indeed it will,” she answered. “But if it’s permissible ever to amend a toast, even such a good one as that, I’m going to venture to do it. Something so nice happened to-day. Tell him, Arthur, do.”
Vaughan shook his head. “Not I,” he answered, “I wouldn’t dare. I’m having a hard enough time as it is, trying to make all these remarkable things seem real. I still walk around pinching myself, and pulling out letters and telegrams and re-reading them, to make sure they’re genuine, after all. But if I should start to talk, I’d know I was a liar before I said five words. I don’t mind listening, though, a bit. Go ahead and tell him, Rose, if you want to, and I’ll sit still and try to look the part of modest but intensely deserving merit. That’s the best I can do.”
Rose turned eagerly to Helmar. “Well, then,” she cried, “he got word to-day. The book’s gone into a third large edition. In three months! And his first book! Think of it. And he’s had more fine letters and notices, besides. And two other magazines have written to see if he has any short stories he’d let them see. So he’s going to be a great success, and I’m awfully proud of him, and when we drink our toast, I want it to be to the author, the book and the third edition.”
Helmar nodded in vigorous assent. “By all means,” he exclaimed, “if all amendments were as good as that one, no maker of an original motion could ever object. We’ll drink to the third edition, of course, and I hope, before we’re done, there’ll be thirty of them. There,” he added, as he put down his glass, “my pleasant duty’s done, and I think I may claim well done. Unless, Arthur, you can think of anything I’ve omitted.”
Vaughan shook his head. “No, no,” he answered, “you’ve been a great success; said a lot of things about us both that aren’t true, and successfully reduced us to just the proper stage of uncomfortable embarrassment.”
Helmar laughed. “It’s a pity, though,” he said, “that we didn’t have our full attendance. Think of all the other nice things I might have had a chance to say. Wasted opportunities. Marjory unable to come; Jack kept away on business; Mr. Carleton started for his big time in town. That is a banquet, though, with a vengeance, isn’t it! Think of it; United States Senator! But of course every one knew he’d make it. I never saw such a man. Success in everything. He’s certainly a wonder. You must feel awfully proud of him, Rose.”
She nodded gaily. “Of course I do,” she answered. “We must drink his health, anyway. He deserves it. What shall we say? The man who has brought new honors to the Carleton name!”
As they drank the toast, the butler entered with the coffee and cigars, and the girl rose, smiling down at Vaughan. “Don’t be too long, now,” she said, “remember I’m all alone.”
As the portières closed behind her, Helmar turned to Vaughan. “Well, Arthur,” he said, “you’re certainly a lucky man. Engaged to such a girl as Rose, and fairly on your literary feet into the bargain. It’s fine about the book. I didn’t realize it was doing so well.”
Vaughan nodded. “It was queer,” he said meditatively, “about the whole thing. I guess I ought to be ashamed of myself for claiming, once upon a time, that there was a pull in literature. Because look how it worked with me. There I had Mr. Carleton using all his influence, and three times that book was turned down. And then, just because Jack kept after me to do it, when I took the manuscript back and began plugging ahead with it on my own account, just see what happened. It was accepted the very next crack.”