'
'Balbus said that England was good enough for him (_placeo_).'
'Balbus sent a story (versus) to Maecenas, who replied that he hoped to
use it in due course.'
His mind floated away from the classroom when a shrill voice brought
him back.
'Sir, please, sir, what does "due course" mean?'
James reflected. 'Alter it to "immediately,"' he said.
'Balbus is a great man,' he wrote on the blackboard.
Two minutes later he was in the office of an important magazine, and
there was a look of relief on the editor's face, for James had
practically promised to do a series of twelve short stories for him.
* * * * *
It has been well observed that when a writer has a story rejected he
should send that story to another editor, but that when he has one
accepted he should send another story to that editor. Acting on this
excellent plan, James, being off duty for an hour after tea, smoked a
pipe in his bedroom and settled down to work on a second effort for the
Universal.
He was getting on rather well when his flow of ideas was broken by a
knock on the door.
'Come in,' yelled James. (Your author is notoriously irritable.)
The new-comer was Adolf. Adolf was one of that numerous band of Swiss
and German youths who come to this country prepared to give their
services ridiculously cheap in exchange for the opportunity of learning
the English language.
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