Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/262

 bought by old ladies under the impression that it is a Scriptural tale, and it has been included in theological catalogues; but this is one of the cases in which ambiguity in a title is a merit rather than a disadvantage.

Finally, similar legends have grown around the terms for the publication of the two books. It has been repeatedly stated, on the strength of his letter to his father and mother, that Stevenson sold the book rights of "Treasure Island" for £100; and in a popular weekly it was recently said that Cassell's gave the author of "King Solomon's Mines" £50 for the copyright, and afterwards sent him a cheque for £1,000 as a gift. It is true that the amount paid down in this instance was £50, but it was in advance of royalty, and the periodical cheques sent to Sir Rider Haggard ever since, amounting in the aggregate to some thousands of pounds, have been in satisfaction of his legal rights.

"King Solomon's Mines" is published in several different forms. Thirteen others of Sir Rider Haggard's books appear in the Cassell List—"The Brethren," "The Ghost Kings," "Benita," "The Yellow God," "Morning Star," "Marie," "Child of Storm," "The Wanderer's Necklace," "The Ivory Child," "Love Eternal," "When the World Shook," "The Ancient Allan," and "The Virgin of the Sun."

The connexion between the House and Sir James Barrie came about through the Speaker, to which he was a frequent contributor. He was often present at the weekly conferences of the literary staff of that review, and was on the friendliest terms with Sir Wemyss Reid, and thus it was that several of his books were issued by Cassell's—"The Little Minister" in 1891, "Sentimental Tommy" in 1896, and "Tommy and Grizel" in 1900. Successful as they were, it cannot be doubted that the stage is a better medium for the expression of their author's freakish and whimsical genius than the novel.

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch's association with Cassell's was much closer and more protracted than Sir James