of course is everything. If you want to make your
debut before the English reading world you must do so with 'Ode to my
father's tombstone,' or something of that sort!"

"Well, if you think Latin would improve it, let's put 'Duplexus' as its
title," he answered, laughing and trying to snatch back the paper.

"Not on any account!" I said. "That would sound cynical, and cynical
when you're unknown you must not be."

"Oh, well, there! I leave it to you to find a title! I don't care what
it's called."

I looked through the verses trying to catch an idea for a name. Numbers
suggested themselves to me, but none sufficiently vague and indefinite
to suit the English ear. At last I said--

"Do you think Linked Spheres would do?"

"Linked Spheres?" replied Howard, with elevated brows. "What on earth
has that to do with the subject?"

"Well, I have taken it from this line where you say, 'And in his brain
are two divided worlds of thought.'"

"But I say that they are divided--divided isn't linked!"

"No, I quite admit it. But though divided they must be linked to a
certain extent by being both within his brain. It is not quite right
though, because the walls of the skull might, by encircling the two
worlds, be said to unite them, but they could not 'link' anything. I
follow all that, and I don't think the title is particularly artistic.
It's not clear enough. Your own is much better from the view of
intrinsic fitness. But the beauty of Linked Spheres is its
indistinctness. You must not be too clear. That has been my great
fault--perspicuity--and I am beginning to see it now. It has fatally
barred my getting on. I always do try to make people see exactly what I
mean, and that is apparently a mistake. When I write about passion
everybody feels it is passion, and is shocked in consequence. When
another fellow writes about it you feel he is trying to say something,
but you are not quite sure what, and so it doesn't matter."

"'Muddle it! muddle it!' must be your watchword if you want to pass
muster through the British press. Linked Spheres is a splendid
muddle--very indefinite, quite void of connection with the subject in
hand, and with a pleasant tinkle about the sound, just like Gladstone's
speeches! Linked Spheres! It's impossible, for how the deuce would you
link a sphere? Metaphor all wrong, and no one will know in the least
what you mean, but it sounds pleasant and polished, and perfectly
proper, and you'll find your