 I'm disposed to think. Not that
the things were worse than multitudes of books which nowadays go down with the
many-headed. But I never quite knew what I wished to be at fiction. I wasn't
content to write a mere narrative of the exciting kind, yet I couldn't hit upon
subjects of intellectual cast that altogether satisfied me. Well, well; I have
tried my hand at most kinds of literature. Assuredly I merit the title of man of
letters.«
    »You certainly do.«
    »By-the-by, what should you think of that title for a review - Letters? It
has never been used, so far as I know. I like the word letters. How much better
a man of letters than a literary man! And apropos of that, when was the word
literature first used in our modern sense to signify a body of writing? In
Johnson's day it was pretty much the equivalent of our culture. You remember his
saying, It is surprising how little literature people have. His dictionary, I
believe, defines the word as learning, skill in letters - nothing else.«
    It was characteristic of Yule to dwell with gusto on little points such as
this; he prosed for a quarter of an hour, with a pause every now and then whilst
he kept his pipe alight.
    »I think Letters wouldn't be amiss,« he said at length, returning to the
suggestion which he wished to keep before Marian's mind. »It would clearly
indicate our scope. No articles on bimetallism, as Quarmby said - wasn't it
Quarmby?«
    He laughed idly.
    »Yes, I must ask Jedwood how he likes the name.«
 
Though Marian feared the result, she was glad when Jasper made up his mind to
write to her father. Since it was determined that her money could not be devoted
to establishing a review, the truth ought to be confessed before Yule had gone
too far in nursing his dangerous hope. Without the support of her love and all
the prospects connected with it, she would hardly have been capable of giving a
distinct refusal when her reply could no longer be postponed; to hold the money
merely for her own benefit would have seemed to her too selfish, however slight
her faith in the project on which her father built so exultantly. When it was
declared that she had accepted an offer of marriage, a sacrifice of that kind
could no longer be expected of her. Opposition must direct itself against the
choice she had made. It would be stern,
