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Were you thinking of developing it in other ways? As you got more and more money...

We had dreams, but they had to wait... I bought the Modern Library in 1925. I had been at Liveright's from the spring of 1923 to the spring of 1925, exactly two years. I bought the Modern Library the night I sailed for Europe. It was May 25th, 1925--my birthday. By this time I knew my way around the literary world. I knew all the Liveright authors, of course. And on the boat going over, I told you Dick Simon was aboard.

What did he think of this purchase? You must have discussed it with him.

Surely did. He and Schuster tried to buy it from us right away. I still have a brochure which Schuster got out. He was a great con man and a great advertising man. He proved to his own satisfaction at least that I should sell them the Modern Library, since I was a pleasure-loving boy and would then have so much more time to go to Europe and enjoy myself. You never saw such bunk in your life!

Who else did you meet on the Aquitania--anybody?

Yes. There was a young lady on that boat going over to England with her husband who was just finishing a book for