In the final volume, "The Last Post, " Tietjens and Miss Wannop are expecting a child.

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This brings us to the final criteria: volume.

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As for volume over the final stretch of 2012, arrangers say they are modestly bullish.

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By the final chapters of the fourth volume the author's disenchantment was growing.

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However, whether this pipeline translates into strong volume during the final stretch of 2012 depends on several factors that ultimately dictate model returns.

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In fact, the final three months of 2010 ended up setting a quarterly record for dollar volume raised by IPOs globally, beating the previous high seen in the final quarter of 2007, by Dealogic's count.

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Earlier this year, its paperback partner, Picador, rereleased the first four novels in a single volume paperback to coincide with the publication of the final book.

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