She had risen to the bait of his leavetaking. The nice young boy had whetted an appetite for flattery she never had known she possessed; and besides, he was a convenient escort to openings. "You mustn't waste yourself in a hick town. Let me see what I can do first."
It developed that J. L. Biggens owed her a favor for introducing his wife Sophie and himself to Riviera society. J.L. had been thinking of having a New York book scout full time, as his brother Sol, who sized up Broadway shows, had no time for reading. Horta's recommendation, and his job as managing editor and movie critic with the Husker-Sun, had helped; but what really had put him across was the sample one-page digests of books, and the clincher of pointing out that he knew of books in the public domain which wouldn't cost J.L. a cent.
The contract had been signed just before he came to Clem's, six months with options at twice what Lauter would have paid. A position, Semy had thought gleefully as he walked up Fifth Avenue, to make writers who wanted to sell to pictures take deferential notice of Semanter Klug, even that snotty Kevin Doyle. And Lucy certainly would be impressed, and all those actresses, like Tessie Soler, who wanted to get into pictures. Pop sure is lucky, he sniggered, anyway for six months if the Biggens thing doesn't work out.
"There's Bernard Genlis, the critic, with Paul Vermillion," Vedder said to Vida with surprise. "I wonder how he happened to come? Critics rarely show up at openings, especially Genlis who usually goes through a show so fast he meets himself coming in."
He left her quickly to give Genlis a catalog, presenting it as if to visiting royalty. "I thought you were going to bring me some canvases," he said to Vermillion, further impressed at seeing the young painter in the company of the difficult critic.
"I'll see," hedged Vermillion uncomfortably.
"See what you can do with him," Veddcr said ingratiatingly to Genlis and withdrew, as mention of the current show would be tactless.
"What goes on?" Genlis asked.
"Nothing. He smells business because I know Figente and you."
"Has he seen anything?"
"A small canvas."
"You're holding out on me."
"You said it," Vermillion said shortly to Genlis whom he had
