I could never live in the style I do on what I get as
editor of the CATHEDRAL MONTHLY."
Clovis was even more startled than Septimus had been earlier in
the conversation, but he was better skilled in repressing
surprise.
"Do you mean to say you get money out of--Florrie?" he asked.
"Not out of Florrie, as yet," said Septimus; "in fact, I don't
mind saying that I'm having a good deal of trouble over Florrie.
But there are a lot of others."
Clovis's cigarette went out.
"This is VERY interesting," he said slowly. And then, with
Septimus Brope's next words, illumination dawned on him.
"There are heaps of others; for instance:
'Cora with the lips of coral,
You and I will never quarrel.'
That was one of my earliest successes, and it still brings me in
royalties. And then there is--'Esmeralda, when I first beheld
her,' and 'Fair Teresa, how I love to please her,' both of those
have been fairly popular. And there is one rather dreadful one,"
continued Septimus, flushing deep carmine, "which has brought me
in more money than any of the others:
'Lively little Lucie
With her naughty nez retrouss?.'
Of course, I loathe the whole lot of them; in fact, I'm rapidly
becoming something of a woman-hater under their influence, but I
can't afford to disregard the financial aspect of the matter.
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