"I know! Glad to meet you, Mr.Copplestone--you don't know me, but I know you--or your work--well enough.

It was I who read and recommended your play to our poor dear friend.

It's a little secret, you know," continued Mr.Dennie, laying his packet on the table, "but I have acted for a great many years as Bassett Oliver's literary adviser--taster, you might say.

You know, he had a great number of plays sent to him, of course, and he was a very busy man, and he used to hand them over to me in the first place, to take a look at, a taste of, you know, and if I liked the taste, why, then he took a mouthful himself, eh?
And that brings me to the very point, my dear ladies and my dear young gentleman, that I have come specially to Scarhaven this morning to discuss.

It's a very, very serious matter indeed," he went on as he untied his packet of papers, "and I fear that it's only the beginning of something more serious.