"What about Cream? He told me he'd done your sketch very successfully!"
John passed Cream's letter to him. "Well, you can do that sort of thing all right anyhow," Hinde said when he had read the letter.
"Cream re-wrote it," John murmured. "And even if he hadn't, it's not much of an achievement, is it? I wanted to write good stuff, and I can't do it. I can't even do decent journalism!..."
"Oh, those articles you do aren't too bad," Hinde said encouragingly.
"What are a few articles! The only success I have is with a low music-hall sketch, and even that has to be rewritten!"
"Come, come!" said Hinde. "You're feeling depressed now. You'll change your mind presently. I daresay there's plenty of good stuff in you and one of these days it'll come out. You needn't get into the dumps because you've failed to make good as a journalist. God knows that's no triumphant career! Plenty of good writers have tried to make a living at journalism and failed hopelessly. Haven't had half the success you've had! Finished that new book of yours yet?"
"Very nearly!"
"I suppose Jannissary is going to do it, too?"
"Yes. I've contracted for three novels with him!"
"I wonder how that man would live if it weren't for the vanity of young authors!"