Mrs. Farrell continued the debate. She talked in a busi-nesslike manner and pronounced the
arrangement one by which both sides would benefit. There were thou-sands of other Farrells, she
pointed out, any one of whom they might have adopted. But they had selected me because in so
choosing, they thought they were taking the least risk. They had decided she was pleased to say, that
I would not disgrace them, and that as a "literary author " I brought with me a certain social asset.