"I told you you would ruin it if you made it longer. It is perfect as
it is, and anything more would be padding. It is a little gem, worthy
even of a place in the Loadstar. Father, do you hear? Do you
understand? Look at your son's name among all those great men! Aren't
you glad? Aren't you proud! Aren't you going to congratulate us
both?"
Mr Vane growled a little, for the sake of appearances; but though his
eyebrows frowned, the corners of his lips relaxed in a manner distinctly
complacent. Even recognising as he did the herald of defeat, it was
impossible to resist a thrill of pride as his eye glanced down the
imposing list of names held open for his inspection. A great scientist;
a great statesman; a leading author; an astronomer known throughout the
world; a soldier veteran, and near the end that other name, so dearly
familiar--the name of his own son! The voice in which he spoke was
gruff with emotion. "Humph! You are in good company, at least. Let me
see the verses themselves. There must be something in them, I suppose,
but I am no judge of these things."