"What you say about the title is quite right? and I am so much obliged to you, Mr. Mangan," Lady Adela said, with almost pathetic emphasis. "The American war, of course; I never thought of that!"
"What is Ichabod's choice?—I beg your pardon, I mean have you shown the titles to Mr. Egerton?"
"I'm afraid he doesn't approve of any of them," said Lady Adela, sadly turning over the slips.
"No, I suppose not; good titles went out with good fiction—when he ceased to write novels a number of years ago. May I look at the others?"
She handed him the slips.
"Well, now, there is one that in my poor opinion would be rather effective—'Lotus and Lily'—a pretty sound—"
"Yes—perhaps," said Lady Adela, doubtfully, "but then, you see, it has not much connection with the book. The worst of it is that all the novel is printed—all but the three title-pages. Otherwise I might have called my heroine Lily—"
"But I fear you could not have called your hero Lotus," said Mangan, gravely. "Not very well. However, it is no use speculating on that now, as you say. What is the next one?—'Transformation.' Of course you know that Hawthorne wrote a book under that title, Lady Adela?"
"Yes," said she, cheerfully. "But there's no copyright in America; so why shouldn't I take the title if it suits?"
He hesitated; there seemed to be some ethical point here; but he fell back on base expediency.