AUTHOR REVEALED

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 9

AUTHOR REVEALED

GENTLEMAN WITH DUSTER

BEGBIE'S WELL-KEPT SECRET

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 10th. October. Messrs. Mills and Boon, the wellknown publishing house, admit that the late Mr. Harold Begbio was the author of the much discussed book "The Mirrors of Downing Street," by "A Gentleman with a. Duster." Much speculation was made at the time as to the authorship, and many were tho names mentioned.

However, the publishers say: "It was Mr. Begbie's wish that his authorship of the books under this pseudonym should be kept a close secret." "Although various statements were made from time to time that Mr. Begbie was the author," said Mr. Boon, "it was not once officially admitted either by him or by us.. It remained a secret of the publishing world. "All kinds of writers were stated to have written the most famous of his books issued under this pen name—but even when its authorship was attributed to others Mr. Bogbie would not have tho secret revealed. Ho thought that after the war there was occasion for plain speaking about prominent individuals, and he wanted to bo absolutely free to speak his mind. "Of course, it became extremely difficult to keep tho secret, and this almost at once. I don't suppose there has been a book in our time which has been so freely quoted d discussed on tho day of publication. A great deal of this material went on to tho cables, and America's compliment consisted of an imitation, 'The Mirrors of Washington,' which appeared soon afterwards, and also had a great success. Bat this didnot interfere with ihe success of Begbie's book in the New World, for, as was the caso over here, it went into many big editions. "No, I do not think Begbio ever actually denied being the author, although many of his friends and admirers declared that nobody else could have written it. He was clover enough to do as Sir Walter Scott did about the 'Waverley Novels,' and answer any direct challenge with a neat evasion. He enjoyed the public mystification, but whenever some discerning critic attributed it to any other writer he never troubled to interfere. People said that it was partly written or suggested by Lord Haldano and othere, but these guesses went for nothing in the end. Except for a very small circle of intimates, who have rigidly Kept his confidence, a secret it lias remained. Only yesterday wo wero asked by telephone who the author really was, but it has not been disclosed till to-day. Hi published some years ago three novels without his name—'A London Girl,' 'A Rainy Day,' and 'Closed Doors,' and it was only lately that wo reissued them for him under his own signa-. ture."