Hudson made no serious rejoinder to Rowland's compliment on his statuette until he rose to go.

Rowland wondered whether he had forgotten it, and supposed that the oversight was a sign of the natural self-sufficiency of genius.

But Hudson stood a moment before he said good night, twirled his sombrero, and hesitated for the first time.

He gave Rowland a clear, penetrating glance, and then, with a wonderfully frank, appealing smile: "You really meant," he asked, "what you said a while ago about that thing of mine?
It is good--essentially good ?" "I really meant it," said Rowland, laying a kindly hand on his shoulder.
"It is very good indeed.

It is, as you say, essentially good.