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.
"It is a mistake for two authors to use the same title--I'm sure it is,"
said he. "Look at the confusion. The reviewers might pass over your
novel, thinking it was only a new edition of Hawthorne's book."
"Yes, that's quite true," said Lady Adela, thoughtfully.
"Well, here is one," he continued. "'Sicily and South Kensington;'
that's odd; that's new; that might take the popular fancy."
"Do you know, that is a favorite of my own," Lady Adela said, with a
slight eagerness, "for it really describes the book. You understand, Mr.
Mangan, all the first part is about the South of Italy; and then I come
to London and try to describe everything that is just going on round
about us.
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