"
Septimus groaned.
"You see how it would be," he said; "as soon as people knew me to
be the author of that miserable sentimental twaddle, all respect
for the serious labours of my life would be gone. I dare say I
know more about memorial brasses than anyone living, in fact I
hope one day to publish a monograph on the subject, but I should
be pointed out everywhere as the man whose ditties were in the
mouths of nigger minstrels along the entire coast-line of our
Island home. Can you wonder that I positively hate Florrie all
the time that I'm trying to grind out sugar-coated rhapsodies
about her."
"Why not give free play to your emotions, and be brutally abusive?
An uncomplimentary refrain would have an instant success as a
novelty if you were sufficiently outspoken."
"I've never thought of that," said Septimus, "and I'm afraid I
couldn't break away from the habit of fulsome adulation and
suddenly change my style."
"You needn't change your style in the least," said Clovis; "merely
reverse the sentiment and keep to the inane phraseology of the
thing. If you'll do the body of the 'song I'll knock off the
refrain, which is the thing that principally matters, I believe.
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