Inhisshamefacedandconstrainedway,Mr。TheEnglishmanaskednoquestionofanyone,butwatchedfromhisfrontwindowsandwatchedfromhisbackwindows,andlingeredaboutthePlace,andpeepedinattheBarber’sshop,anddidallthisandmuchmorewithawhistlingandtune-hummingpretenceofnotmissinganything,untiloneafternoonwhenMonsieurMutuel’spatchofsunlightwasinshadow,andwhen,accordingtoallruleandprecedent,hehadnorightwhatevertobringhisredribbonoutofdoors,beholdherehewas,advancingwithhiscapalreadyinhishandtwelvepacesoff!
Mr。TheEnglishmanhadgotasfarintohisusualobjurgationas,\"Whatbu-si-\"whenhecheckedhimself。
\"Ah,itissad,itissad!Helas,itisunhappy,itissad!\"ThusoldMonsieurMutuel,shakinghisgrayhead。
\"Whatbusin-atleast,Iwouldsay,whatdoyoumean,MonsieurMutuel?\"
\"OurCorporal。Helas,ourdearCorporal!\"
\"Whathashappenedtohim?\"
\"Youhavenotheard?\"
\"No。\"
\"Atthefire。Buthewassobrave,soready。Ah,toobrave,tooready!\"
\"MaytheDevilcarryyouaway!\"theEnglishmanbrokeinimpatiently;
\"Ibegyourpardon,——Imeanme,——IamnotaccustomedtospeakFrench,——goon,willyou?\"
\"Andafallingbeam——\"
\"GoodGod!\"exclaimedtheEnglishman。\"Itwasaprivatesoldierwhowaskilled?\"
\"No。ACorporal,thesameCorporal,ourdearCorporal。Belovedbyallhiscomrades。Thefuneralceremonywastouching,——penetrating。
MonsieurTheEnglishman,youreyesfillwithtears。\"
\"Whatbu-si-\"
\"MonsieurTheEnglishman,Ihonourthoseemotions。Isaluteyouwithprofoundrespect。Iwillnotobtrudemyselfuponyournobleheart。\"
MonsieurMutuel,——agentlemanineverythreadofhiscloudylinen,underwhosewrinkledhandeverygraininthequarterofanounceofpoorsnuffinhispoorlittletinboxbecameagentleman’sproperty,——MonsieurMutuelpassedon,withhiscapinhishand。
\"Ilittlethought,\"saidtheEnglishman,afterwalkingforseveralminutes,andmorethanonceblowinghisnose,\"whenIwaslookingroundthatcemetery——I’llgothere!\"
Straighthewentthere,andwhenhecamewithinthegatehepaused,consideringwhetherheshouldaskatthelodgeforsomedirectiontothegrave。Buthewaslessthaneverinamoodforaskingquestions,andhethought,\"Ishallseesomethingonittoknowitby。\"
InsearchoftheCorporal’sgravehewentsoftlyon,upthiswalkanddownthat,peeringin,amongthecrossesandheartsandcolumnsandobelisksandtombstones,forarecentlydisturbedspot。Ittroubledhimnowtothinkhowmanydeadtherewereinthecemetery,——
hehadnotthoughtthematenthpartsonumerousbefore,——andafterhehadwalkedandsoughtforsometime,hesaidtohimself,ashestruckdownanewvistaoftombs,\"ImightsupposethateveryonewasdeadbutI。\"
Noteveryone。Alivechildwaslyingonthegroundasleep。TrulyhehadfoundsomethingontheCorporal’sgravetoknowitby,andthesomethingwasBebelle。
Withsuchalovingwillhadthedeadsoldier’scomradesworkedathisresting-place,thatitwasalreadyaneatgarden。OnthegreenturfofthegardenBebellelaysleeping,withhercheektouchingit。
Aplain,unpaintedlittlewoodenCrosswasplantedintheturf,andhershortarmembracedthislittleCross,asithadmanyatimeembracedtheCorporal’sneck。Theyhadputatinyflag(theflagofFrance)athishead,andalaurelgarland。
Mr。TheEnglishmantookoffhishat,andstoodforawhilesilent。
Then,coveringhisheadagain,hebentdownononeknee,andsoftlyrousedthechild。
\"Bebelle!Mylittleone!\"
Openinghereyes,onwhichthetearswerestillwet,Bebellewasatfirstfrightened;butseeingwhoitwas,shesufferedhimtotakeherinhisarms,lookingsteadfastlyathim。
\"Youmustnotliehere,mylittleone。Youmustcomewithme。\"
\"No,no。Ican’tleaveTheophile。IwantthegooddearTheophile。\"
\"Wewillgoandseekhim,Bebelle。WewillgoandlookforhiminEngland。Wewillgoandlookforhimatmydaughter’s,Bebelle。\"
\"Shallwefindhimthere?\"
\"Weshallfindthebestpartofhimthere。Comewithme,poorforlornlittleone。Heavenismywitness,\"saidtheEnglishman,inalowvoice,as,beforeherose,hetouchedtheturfabovethegentleCorporal’sbreast,\"thatIthankfullyacceptthistrust!\"
Itwasalongwayforthechildtohavecomeunaided。Shewassoonasleepagain,withherembracetransferredtotheEnglishman’sneck。
Helookedatherwornshoes,andhergalledfeet,andhertiredface,andbelievedthatshehadcomethereeveryday。
HewasleavingthegravewiththeslumberingBebelleinhisarms,whenhestopped,lookedwistfullydownatit,andlookedwistfullyattheothergravesaround。\"Itistheinnocentcustomofthepeople,\"saidMr。TheEnglishman,withhesitation。\"IthinkI
shouldliketodoit。Noonesees。\"
CarefulnottowakeBebelleashewent,herepairedtothelodgewheresuchlittletokensofremembranceweresold,andboughttwowreaths。One,blueandwhiteandglisteningsilver,\"Tomyfriend;\"
oneofasobererredandblackandyellow,\"Tomyfriend。\"Withthesehewentbacktothegrave,andsodownononekneeagain。
Touchingthechild’slipswiththebrighterwreath,heguidedherhandtohangitontheCross;thenhunghisownwreaththere。Afterall,thewreathswerenotfaroutofkeepingwiththelittlegarden。
Tomyfriend。Tomyfriend。
Mr。TheEnglishmantookitveryillwhenhelookedroundastreetcornerintotheGreatPlace,carryingBebelleinhisarms,thatoldMutuelshouldbethereairinghisredribbon。HetookaworldofpainstododgetheworthyMutuel,anddevotedasurprisingamountoftimeandtroubletoskulkingintohisownlodginglikeamanpursuedbyJustice。Safelyarrivedthereatlast,hemadeBebelle’stoiletwithasaccuratearemembranceashecouldbringtobearuponthatworkofthewayinwhichhehadoftenseenthepoorCorporalmakeit,andhavinggivenhertoeatanddrink,laidherdownonhisownbed。Thenheslippedoutintothebarber’sshop,andafterabriefinterviewwiththebarber’swife,andabriefrecoursetohispurseandcard-case,camebackagainwiththewholeofBebelle’spersonalpropertyinsuchaverylittlebundlethatitwasquitelostunderhisarm。
AsitwasirreconcilablewithhiswholecourseandcharacterthatheshouldcarryBebelleoffinstate,orreceiveanycomplimentsorcongratulationsonthatfeat,hedevotedthenextdaytogettinghistwoportmanteausoutofthehousebyartfulnessandstealth,andtocomportinghimselfineveryparticularasifheweregoingtorunaway,——except,indeed,thathepaidhisfewdebtsinthetown,andpreparedalettertoleaveforMadameBouclet,enclosingasufficientsumofmoneyinlieuofnotice。Arailwaytrainwouldcomethroughatmidnight,andbythattrainhewouldtakeawayBebelletolookforTheophileinEnglandandathisforgivendaughter’s。
Atmidnight,onamoonlightnight,Mr。TheEnglishmancamecreepingforthlikeaharmlessassassin,withBebelleonhisbreastinsteadofadagger。QuiettheGreatPlace,andquietthenever-stirringstreets;closedthecafes;huddledtogethermotionlesstheirbilliard-balls;drowsytheguardorsentinelondutyhereandthere;
lulledforthetime,bysleep,eventheinsatiateappetiteoftheOfficeofTown-dues。
Mr。TheEnglishmanleftthePlacebehind,andleftthestreetsbehind,andleftthecivilian-inhabitedtownbehind,anddescendeddownamongthemilitaryworksofVauban,hemmingallin。Astheshadowofthefirstheavyarchandposternfelluponhimandwasleftbehind,astheshadowofthesecondheavyarchandposternfelluponhimandwasleftbehind,ashishollowtrampoverthefirstdrawbridgewassucceededbyagentlersound,ashishollowtrampovertheseconddrawbridgewassucceededbyagentlersound,asheovercamethestagnantditchesonebyone,andpassedoutwheretheflowingwaterswereandwherethemoonlight,sothedarkshadesandthehollowsoundsandtheunwholesomelylockedcurrentsofhissoulwerevanquishedandsetfree。Seetoit,Vaubansofyourownhearts,whogirdtheminwithtriplewallsandditches,andwithboltandchainandbarandliftedbridge,——razethosefortifications,andlaythemlevelwiththeall-absorbingdust,beforethenightcomethwhennohandcanwork!
Allwentprosperously,andhegotintoanemptycarriageinthetrain,wherehecouldlayBebelleontheseatoveragainsthim,asonacouch,andcoverherfromheadtofootwithhismantle。Hehadjustdrawnhimselfupfromperfectingthisarrangement,andhadjustleanedbackinhisownseatcontemplatingitwithgreatsatisfaction,whenhebecameawareofacuriousappearanceattheopencarriagewindow,——aghostlylittletinboxfloatingupinthemoon-light,andhoveringthere。
Heleanedforward,andputouthishead。Downamongtherailsandwheelsandashes,MonsieurMutuel,redribbonandall!
\"Excuseme,MonsieurTheEnglishman,\"saidMonsieurMutuel,holdinguphisboxatarm’slength,thecarriagebeingsohighandhesolow;\"butIshallreverencethelittleboxforever,ifyoursogeneroushandwilltakeapinchfromitatparting。\"
Mr。TheEnglishmanreachedoutofthewindowbeforecomplying,and——
withoutaskingtheoldfellowwhatbusinessitwasofhis——shookhandsandsaid,\"Adieu!Godblessyou!\"
\"And,Mr。TheEnglishman,GodblessYOU!\"criedMadameBouclet,whowasalsothereamongtherailsandwheelsandashes。\"AndGodwillblessyouinthehappinessoftheprotectedchildnowwithyou。AndGodwillblessyouinyourownchildathome。AndGodwillblessyouinyourownremembrances。Andthisfromme!\"
Hehadbarelytimetocatchabouquetfromherhand,whenthetrainwasflyingthroughthenight。Roundthepaperthatenfoldeditwasbravelywritten(doubtlessbythenephewwhoheldthepenofanAngel),\"Homagetothefriendofthefriendless。\"
\"Notbadpeople,Bebelle!\"saidMr。TheEnglishman,softlydrawingthemantlealittlefromhersleepingface,thathemightkissit,\"thoughtheyareso——\"
Too\"sentimental\"himselfatthemomenttobeabletogetoutthatword,headdednothingbutasob,andtravelledforsomemiles,throughthemoonlight,withhishandbeforehiseyes。
CHAPTERIII——HISBROWN-PAPERPARCEL
Myworksarewellknown。IamayoungmanintheArtline。Youhaveseenmyworksmanyatime,thoughit’sfiftythousandtooneifyouhaveseenme。Yousayyoudon’twanttoseeme?Yousayyourinterestisinmyworks,andnotinme?Don’tbetoosureaboutthat。Stopabit。
Letushaveitdowninblackandwhiteatthefirstgooff,sothattheremaybenounpleasantnessorwranglingafterwards。Andthisislookedoverbyafriendofmine,aticketwriter,thatisuptoliterature。IamayoungmanintheArtline——intheFine-Artline。
Youhaveseenmyworksoverandoveragain,andyouhavebeencuriousaboutme,andyouthinkyouhaveseenme。Now,asasaferule,youneverhaveseenme,andyouneverdoseeme,andyouneverwillseeme。Ithinkthat’splainlyput——andit’swhatknocksmeover。
Ifthere’sablightedpubliccharactergoing,Iamtheparty。
Ithasbeenremarkedbyacertain(oranuncertain,)philosopher,thattheworldknowsnothingofitsgreatestmen。Hemighthaveputitplainerifhehadthrownhiseyeinmydirection。Hemighthaveputit,thatwhiletheworldknowssomethingofthemthatapparentlygoinandwin,itknowsnothingofthemthatreallygoinanddon’twin。Thereitisagaininanotherform——andthat’swhatknocksmeover。
Notthatit’sonlymyselfthatsuffersfrominjustice,butthatIammorealivetomyowninjuriesthantoanyotherman’s。Being,asI
havementioned,intheFine-Artline,andnotthePhilanthropicline,Iopenlyadmitit。Astocompanyininjury,Ihavecompanyenough。WhoareyoupassingeverydayatyourCompetitiveExcruciations?Thefortunatecandidateswhoseheadsandliversyouhaveturnedupsidedownforlife?Notyou。YouarereallypassingtheCrammersandCoaches。Ifyourprincipleisright,whydon’tyouturnoutto-morrowmorningwiththekeysofyourcitiesonvelvetcushions,yourmusiciansplaying,andyourflagsflying,andreadaddressestotheCrammersandCoachesonyourbendedknees,beseechingthemtocomeoutandgovernyou?Then,again,astoyourpublicbusinessofallsorts,yourFinancialstatementsandyourBudgets;thePublicknowsmuch,truly,abouttherealdoersofallthat!YourNoblesandRightHonourablesarefirst-ratemen?Yes,andsoisagooseafirst-ratebird。ButI’lltellyouthisaboutthegoose;——you’llfindhisnaturalflavourdisappointing,withoutstuffing。
PerhapsIamsouredbynotbeingpopular?ButsupposeIAMpopular。
Supposemyworksneverfailtoattract。Supposethat,whethertheyareexhibitedbynaturallightorbyartificial,theyinvariablydrawthepublic。ThennodoubttheyarepreservedinsomeCollection?No,theyarenot;theyarenotpreservedinanyCollection。Copyright?No,noryetcopyright。Anyhowtheymustbesomewhere?Wrongagain,fortheyareoftennowhere。
Saysyou,\"Atallevents,youareinamoodystateofmind,myfriend。\"Myansweris,Ihavedescribedmyselfasapubliccharacterwithablightuponhim——whichfullyaccountsforthecurdlingofthemilkinTHATcocoa-nut。
ThosethatareacquaintedwithLondonareawareofalocalityontheSurreysideoftheriverThames,calledtheObelisk,or,moregenerally,theObstacle。ThosethatarenotacquaintedwithLondonwillalsobeawareofit,nowthatIhavenamedit。Mylodgingisnotfarfromthatlocality。Iamayoungmanofthateasydisposition,thatIlieabedtillit’sabsolutelynecessarytogetupandearnsomething,andthenIlieabedagaintillIhavespentit。
ItwasonanoccasionwhenIhadhadtoturntowithaviewtovictuals,thatIfoundmyselfwalkingalongtheWaterlooRoad,oneeveningafterdark,accompaniedbyanacquaintanceandfellow-lodgerinthegas-fittingwayoflife。Heisverygoodcompany,havingworkedatthetheatres,and,indeed,hehasatheatricalturnhimself,andwishestobebroughtoutinthecharacterofOthello;
butwhetheronaccountofhisregularworkalwaysblackinghisfaceandhandsmoreorless,Icannotsay。
\"Tom,\"hesays,\"whatamysteryhangsoveryou!\"
\"Yes,Mr。Click\"——therestofthehousegenerallygivehimhisname,asbeingfirst,front,carpetedallover,hisownfurniture,andifnotmahogany,anout-and-outimitation——\"yes,Mr。Click,amysterydoeshangoverme。\"
\"Makesyoulow,yousee,don’tit?\"sayshe,eyeingmesideways。
\"Why,yes,Mr。Click,therearecircumstancesconnectedwithitthathave,\"Iyieldedtoasigh,\"aloweringeffect。\"
\"Givesyouatouchofthemisanthropetoo,don’tit?\"sayshe。
\"Well,I’lltellyouwhat。IfIwasyou,I’dshakeitof。\"
\"IfIwasyou,Iwould,Mr。Click;but,ifyouwasme,youwouldn’t。\"
\"Ah!\"sayshe,\"there’ssomethinginthat。\"
Whenwehadwalkedalittlefurther,hetookitupagainbytouchingmeonthechest。
\"Yousee,Tom,itseemstomeasif,inthewordsofthepoetwhowrotethedomesticdramaofTheStranger,youhadasilentsorrowthere。\"
\"Ihave,Mr。Click。\"
\"Ihope,Tom,\"loweringhisvoiceinafriendlyway,\"itisn’tcoining,orsmashing?\"
\"No,Mr。Click。Don’tbeuneasy。\"
\"Noryetforg-\"Mr。Clickcheckedhimself,andadded,\"counterfeitinganything,forinstance?\"
\"No,Mr。Click。IamlawfullyintheArtline——Fine-Artline——butI
cansaynomore。\"
\"Ah!Underaspeciesofstar?Akindofmalignantspell?Asortofagloomydestiny?Acankerwormpeggingawayatyourvitalsinsecret,aswellasImakeitout?\"saidMr。Click,eyeingmewithsomeadmiration。
ItoldMr。Clickthatwasaboutit,ifwecametoparticulars;andI
thoughtheappearedratherproudofme。
Ourconversationhadbroughtustoacrowdofpeople,thegreaterpartstrugglingforafrontplacefromwhichtoseesomethingonthepavement,whichprovedtobevariousdesignsexecutedincolouredchalksonthepavementstones,lightedbytwocandlesstuckinmudsconces。Thesubjectsconsistedofafinefreshsalmon’sheadandshoulders,supposedtohavebeenrecentlysenthomefromthefishmonger’s;amoonlightnightatsea(inacircle);deadgame;
scroll-work;theheadofahoaryhermitengagedindevoutcontemplation;theheadofapointersmokingapipe;andacherubim,hisfleshcreasedasininfancy,goingonahorizontalerrandagainstthewind。Allthesesubjectsappearedtometobeexquisitelydone。
Onhiskneesononesideofthisgallery,ashabbypersonofmodestappearancewhoshivereddreadfully(thoughitwasn’tatallcold),wasengagedinblowingthechalk-dustoffthemoon,toningtheoutlineofthebackofthehermit’sheadwithabitofleather,andfatteningthedown-strokeofaletterortwointhewriting。Ihaveforgottentomentionthatwritingformedapartofthecomposition,andthatitalso——asitappearedtome——wasexquisitelydone。Itranasfollows,infineroundcharacters:\"AnhonestmanisthenoblestworkofGod。1234567890。Poundss。d。Employmentinanofficeishumblyrequested。HonourtheQueen。Hungerisa0
987654321sharpthorn。Chipchop,cherrychop,folderolderido。Astronomyandmathematics。Idothistosupportmyfamily。\"
Murmursofadmirationattheexceedingbeautyofthisperformancewentaboutamongthecrowd。Theartist,havingfinishedhistouching(andhavingspoiltthoseplaces),tookhisseatonthepavement,withhiskneescrouchedupverynighhischin;andhalfpencebegantorattlein。
\"Apitytoseeamanofthattalentbroughtsolow;ain’tit?\"saidoneofthecrowdtome。
\"Whathemighthavedoneinthecoach-painting,orhouse-
decorating!\"saidanotherman,whotookupthefirstspeakerbecauseIdidnot。
\"Why,hewrites——alone——liketheLordChancellor!\"saidanotherman。
\"Better,\"saidanother。\"Iknowhiswriting。Hecouldn’tsupporthisfamilythisway。\"
Then,awomannoticedthenaturalfluffinessofthehermit’shair,andanotherwoman,herfriend,mentionedofthesalmon’sgillsthatyoucouldalmostseehimgasp。Then,anelderlycountrygentlemansteppedforwardandaskedthemodestmanhowheexecutedhiswork?
Andthemodestmantooksomescrapsofbrownpaperwithcoloursin’emoutofhispockets,andshowedthem。Thenafair-complexioneddonkey,withsandyhairandspectacles,askedifthehermitwasaportrait?Towhichthemodestman,castingasorrowfulglanceuponit,repliedthatitwas,toacertainextent,arecollectionofhisfather。Thiscausedaboytoyelpout,\"IsthePinterasmokingthepipeyourmother?\"whowasimmediatelyshovedoutofviewbyasympatheticcarpenterwithhisbasketoftoolsathisback。
Ateveryfreshquestionorremarkthecrowdleanedforwardmoreeagerly,anddroppedthehalfpencemorefreely,andthemodestmangatheredthemupmoremeekly。Atlast,anotherelderlygentlemancametothefront,andgavetheartisthiscard,tocometohisofficeto-morrow,andgetsomecopyingtodo。Thecardwasaccompaniedbysixpence,andtheartistwasprofoundlygrateful,and,beforeheputthecardinhishat,readitseveraltimesbythelightofhiscandlestofixtheaddresswellinhismind,incaseheshouldloseit。Thecrowdwasdeeplyinterestedbythislastincident,andamaninthesecondrowwithagruffvoicegrowledtotheartist,\"You’vegotachanceinlifenow,ain’tyou?\"Theartistanswered(sniffinginaverylow-spiritedway,however),\"I’mthankfultohopeso。\"Uponwhichtherewasageneralchorusof\"Youareallright,\"andthehalfpenceslackenedverydecidedly。
Ifeltmyselfpulledawaybythearm,andMr。ClickandIstoodaloneatthecornerofthenextcrossing。
\"Why,Tom,\"saidMr。Click,\"whatahorridexpressionoffaceyou’vegot!\"
\"HaveI?\"saysI。
\"Haveyou?\"saysMr。Click。\"Why,youlookedasifyouwouldhavehisblood。\"
\"Whoseblood?\"
\"Theartist’s。\"
\"Theartist’s?\"Irepeated。AndIlaughed,frantically,wildly,gloomily,incoherently,disagreeably。IamsensiblethatIdid。I
knowIdid。
Mr。Clickstaredatmeinascaredsortofaway,butsaidnothinguntilwehadwalkedastreet’slength。Hethenstoppedshort,andsaid,withexcitementonthepartofhisforefinger:
\"Thomas,Ifinditnecessarytobeplainwithyou。Idon’tliketheenviousman。Ihaveidentifiedthecankerwormthat’speggingawayatYOURvitals,andit’senvy,Thomas。\"
\"Isit?\"saysI。
\"Yes,itis,\"saysbe。\"Thomas,bewareofenvy。Itisthegreen-
eyedmonsterwhichneverdidandneverwillimproveeachshininghour,butquitethereverse。Idreadtheenviousman,Thomas。I
confessthatIamafraidoftheenviousman,whenheissoenviousasyouare。Whilstyoucontemplatedtheworksofagiftedrival,andwhilstyouheardthatrival’spraises,andespeciallywhilstyoumethishumbleglanceasheputthatcardaway,yourcountenancewassomalevolentastobeterrific。Thomas,IhaveheardoftheenvyofthemthatfollowstheFine-Artline,butIneverbelieveditcouldbewhatyoursis。Iwishyouwell,butItakemyleaveofyou。Andifyoushouldevergotintotroublethroughknifeing——orsay,garotting——abrotherartist,asIbelieveyouwill,don’tcallmetocharacter,Thomas,orIshallbeforcedtoinjureyourcase。\"
Mr。Clickpartedfrommewiththosewords,andwebrokeoffouracquaintance。
Ibecameenamoured。HernamewasHenrietta。Contendingwithmyeasydisposition,Ifrequentlygotuptogoafterher。ShealsodweltintheneighbourhoodoftheObstacle,andIdidfondlyhopethatnootherwouldinterposeinthewayofourunion。
TosaythatHenriettawasvolatileisbuttosaythatshewaswoman。
Tosaythatshewasinthebonnet-trimmingisfeeblytoexpressthetastewhichreignedpredominantinherown。
Sheconsentedtowalkwithme。Letmedoherthejusticetosaythatshedidsoupontrial。\"Iamnot,\"saidHenrietta,\"asyetpreparedtoregardyou,Thomas,inanyotherlightthanasafriend;
butasafriendIamwillingtowalkwithyou,ontheunderstandingthatsoftersentimentsmayflow。\"
Wewalked。
UndertheinfluenceofHenrietta’sbeguilements,Inowgotoutofbeddaily。Ipursuedmycallingwithanindustrybeforeunknown,anditcannotfailtohavebeenobservedatthatperiod,bythosemostfamiliarwiththestreetsofLondon,thattherewasalargersupply。Buthold!Thetimeisnotyetcome!
OneeveninginOctoberIwaswalkingwithHenrietta,enjoyingthecoolbreezeswaftedoverVauxhallBridge。Afterseveralslowturns,Henriettagapedfrequently(soinseparablefromwomanistheloveofexcitement),andsaid,\"Let’sgohomebyGrosvenorPlace,Piccadilly,andWaterloo\"——localities,Imaystatefortheinformationofthestrangerandtheforeigner,wellknowninLondon,andthelastaBridge。
\"No。NotbyPiccadilly,Henrietta,\"saidI。
\"AndwhynotPiccadilly,forgoodness’sake?\"saidHenrietta。
CouldItellher?CouldIconfesstothegloomypresentimentthatovershadowedme?CouldImakemyselfintelligibletoher?No。
\"Idon’tlikePiccadilly,Henrietta。\"
\"ButIdo,\"saidshe。\"It’sdarknow,andthelongrowsoflampsinPiccadillyafterdarkarebeautiful。IWILLgotoPiccadilly!\"
Ofcoursewewent。Itwasapleasantnight,andtherewerenumbersofpeopleinthestreets。Itwasabrisknight,butnottoocold,andnotdamp。Letmedarklyobserve,itwasthebestofallnights——
FORTHEPURPOSE。
AswepassedthegardenwalloftheRoyalPalace,goingupGrosvenorPlace,Henriettamurmured:
\"IwishIwasaQueen!\"
\"Whyso,Henrietta?\"
\"IwouldmakeYOUSomething,\"saidshe,andcrossedhertwohandsonmyarm,andturnedawayherhead。
Judgingfromthisthatthesoftersentimentsalludedtoabovehadbeguntoflow,Iadaptedmyconducttothatbelief。ThushappilywepassedonintothedetestedthoroughfareofPiccadilly。Ontherightofthatthoroughfareisarowoftrees,therailingoftheGreenPark,andafinebroadeligiblepieceofpavement。
\"Ohmy!\"criedHenriettapresently。\"There’sbeenanaccident!\"
Ilookedtotheleft,andsaid,\"Where,Henrietta?\"
\"Notthere,stupid!\"saidshe。\"OverbytheParkrailings。Wherethecrowdis。Ohno,it’snotanaccident,it’ssomethingelsetolookat!What’sthemlights?\"
Shereferredtotwolightstwinklinglowamongstthelegsoftheassemblage:twocandlesonthepavement。
\"Oh,docomealong!\"criedHenrietta,skippingacrosstheroadwithme。Ihungback,butinvain。\"Dolet’slook!\"
Again,designsuponthepavement。Centrecompartment,MountVesuviusgoingit(inacircle),supportedbyfourovalcompartments,severallyrepresentingashipinheavyweather,ashoulderofmuttonattendedbytwocucumbers,agoldenharvestwithdistantcottageofproprietor,andaknifeandforkafternature;
abovethecentrecompartmentabunchofgrapes,andoverthewholearainbow。Thewhole,asitappearedtome,exquisitelydone。
Thepersoninattendanceontheseworksofartwasinallrespects,shabbinessexcepted,unliketheformerpersonage。Hiswholeappearanceandmannerdenotedbriskness。Thoughthreadbare,heexpressedtothecrowdthatpovertyhadnotsubduedhisspirit,ortingedwithanysenseofshamethishonestefforttoturnhistalentstosomeaccount。Thewritingwhichformedapartofhiscompositionwasconceivedinasimilarlycheerfultone。Itbreathedthefollowingsentiments:\"Thewriterispoor,butnotdespondent。
ToaBritish1234567890PublichePoundsS。d。appeals。
HonourtoourbraveArmy!Andalso0987654321toourgallantNavy。BRITONSSTRIKEtheABCDEFGwriterincommonchalkswouldbegratefulforanysuitableemploymentHOME!HURRAH!\"
Thewholeofthiswritingappearedtometobeexquisitelydone。
Butthisman,inonerespectlikethelast,thoughseeminglyhardatitwithagreatshowofbrownpaperandrubbers,wasonlyreallyfatteningthedown-strokeofaletterhereandthere,orblowingtheloosechalkofftherainbow,ortoningtheoutsideedgeoftheshoulderofmutton。Thoughhedidthiswiththegreatestconfidence,hedidit(asitstruckme)insoignorantamanner,andsospoilteverythinghetouched,thatwhenhebeganuponthepurplesmokefromthechimneyofthedistantcottageoftheproprietorofthegoldenharvest(whichsmokewasbeautifullysoft),Ifoundmyselfsayingaloud,withoutconsideringofit:
\"Letthatalone,willyou?\"
\"Halloa!\"saidthemannextmeinthecrowd,jerkingmeroughlyfromhimwithhiselbow,\"whydidn’tyousendatelegram?Ifwehadknownyouwascoming,we’dhaveprovidedsomethingbetterforyou。
Youunderstandtheman’sworkbetterthanhedoeshimself,don’tyou?Haveyoumadeyourwill?You’retooclevertolivelong。\"
\"Don’tbeharduponthegentleman,sir,\"saidthepersoninattendanceontheworksofart,withatwinkleinhiseyeashelookedatme;\"hemaychancetobeanartisthimself。Ifso,sir,hewillhaveafellow-feelingwithme,sir,whenI\"——headaptedhisactiontohiswordsashewenton,andgaveasmartslapofhishandsbetweeneachtouch,workinghimselfallthetimeaboutandaboutthecomposition——\"whenIlightenthebloomofmygrapes——shadeofftheorangeinmyrainbow——dottheiofmyBritons——throwayellowlightintomycow-cum-BER——insinuateanothermorseloffatintomyshoulderofmutton——dartanotherzigzagflashoflightningatmyshipindistress!\"
Heseemedtodothissoneatly,andwassonimbleaboutit,thatthehalfpencecameflyingin。
\"Thanks,generouspublic,thanks!\"saidtheprofessor。\"Youwillstimulatemetofurtherexertions。MynamewillbefoundinthelistofBritishPaintersyet。Ishalldobetterthanthis,withencouragement。Ishallindeed。\"
\"Younevercandobetterthanthatbunchofgrapes,\"saidHenrietta。
\"Oh,Thomas,themgrapes!\"
\"NotbetterthanTHAT,lady?IhopeforthetimewhenIshallpaintanythingbutyourownbrighteyesandlipsequaltolife。\"
\"(Thomas,didyouever?)Butitmusttakealongtime,sir,\"saidHenrietta,blushing,\"topaintequaltothat。\"
\"Iwasprenticedtoit,miss,\"saidtheyoungman,smartlytouchingupthecomposition——\"prenticedtoitinthecavesofSpainandPortingale,eversolongandtwoyearover。\"
Therewasalaughfromthecrowd;andanewmanwhohadworkedhimselfinnextme,said,\"He’sasmartchap,too;ain’the?\"
\"Andwhataeye!\"exclaimedHenriettasoftly。
\"Ah!Heneedhaveaeye,\"saidtheman。
\"Ah!Hejustneed,\"wasmurmuredamongthecrowd。
\"Hecouldn’tcomethat’ereburningmountainwithoutaeye,\"saidtheman。Hehadgothimselfacceptedasanauthority,somehow,andeverybodylookedathisfingerasitpointedoutVesuvius。\"Tocomethateffectinageneralilluminationwouldrequireaeye;buttocomeitwithtwodips——why,it’senoughtoblindhim!\"
Thatimpostor,pretendingnottohaveheardwhatwassaid,nowwinkedtoanyextentwithbotheyesatonce,asifthestrainuponhissightwastoomuch,andthrewbackhislonghair——itwasverylong——asiftocoolhisfeveredbrow。Iwaswatchinghimdoingit,whenHenriettasuddenlywhispered,\"Oh,Thomas,howhorridyoulook!\"andpulledmeoutbythearm。
RememberingMr。Click’swords,IwasconfusedwhenIretorted,\"Whatdoyoumeanbyhorrid?\"
\"Ohgracious!Why,youlooked,\"saidHenrietta,\"asifyouwouldhavehisblood。\"
Iwasgoingtoanswer,\"SoIwould,fortwopence——fromhisnose,\"
whenIcheckedmyselfandremainedsilent。
Wereturnedhomeinsilence。Everystepoftheway,thesoftersentimentsthathadflowed,ebbedtwentymileanhour。Adaptingmyconducttotheebbing,asIhaddonetotheflowing,Iletmyarmdroplimp,soasshecouldscarcelykeepholdofit,andIwishedhersuchacoldgood-nightatparting,thatIkeepwithintheboundsoftruthwhenIcharacteriseitasaRasper。
InthecourseofthenextdayIreceivedthefollowingdocument:
\"HenriettainformsThomasthatmyeyesareopentoyou。Imusteverwishyouwell,butwalkingandusisseparatedbyanunfarmableabyss。Onesomalignanttosuperiority——Ohthatlookathim!——canneverneverconductHENRIETTA
P。S。——Tothealtar。\"
Yieldingtotheeasinessofmydisposition,Iwenttobedforaweek,afterreceivingthisletter。Duringthewholeofsuchtime,Londonwasbereftoftheusualfruitsofmylabour。WhenIresumedit,IfoundthatHenriettawasmarriedtotheartistofPiccadilly。
DidIsaytotheartist?Whatfellwordswerethose,expressiveofwhatagallinghollowness,ofwhatabittermockery!I——I——I——amtheartist。IwastherealartistofPiccadilly,IwastherealartistoftheWaterlooRoad,Iamtheonlyartistofallthosepavement-subjectswhichdailyandnightlyarouseyouradmiration。I
do’em,andIlet’emout。Themanyoubeholdwiththepapersofchalksandtherubbers,touchingupthedown-strokesofthewritingandshadingoffthesalmon,themanyougivethecreditto,themanyougivethemoneyto,hires——yes!andIlivetotellit!——hiresthoseworksofartofme,andbringsnothingto’embutthecandles。
Suchisgeniusinacommercialcountry。Iamnotuptotheshivering,Iamnotuptotheliveliness,Iamnotuptothewanting-employment-in-an-officemove;Iamonlyuptooriginatingandexecutingthework。Inconsequenceofwhichyouneverseeme;
youthinkyouseemewhenyouseesomebodyelse,andthatsomebodyelseisamereCommercialcharacter。TheoneseenbyselfandMr。
ClickintheWaterlooRoadcanonlywriteasingleword,andthatI
taughthim,andit’sMULTIPLICATION——whichyoumayseehimexecuteupsidedown,becausehecan’tdoitthenaturalway。TheoneseenbyselfandHenriettabytheGreenParkrailingscanjustsmearintoexistencethetwoendsofarainbow,withhiscuffandarubber——ifveryhardputuponmakingashow——buthecouldnomorecomethearchoftherainbow,tosavehislife,thanhecouldcomethemoon-light,fish,volcano,shipwreck,mutton,hermit,oranyofmymostcelebratedeffects。
ToconcludeasIbegan:ifthere’sablightedpubliccharactergoing,Iamtheparty。Andoftenasyouhaveseen,dosee,andwillsee,myWorks,it’sfiftythousandtooneifyou’lleverseeme,unless,whenthecandlesareburntdownandtheCommercialcharacterisgone,youshouldhappentonoticeaneglectedyoungmanperseveringlyrubbingoutthelasttracesofthepictures,sothatnobodycanrenewthesame。That’sme。
CHAPTERIV——HISWONDERFULEND
Itwillhavebeen,erenow,perceivedthatIsoldtheforegoingwritings。Fromthefactoftheirbeingprintedinthesepages,theinferencewill,erenow,havebeendrawnbythereader(mayIadd,thegentlereader?)thatIsoldthemtoOnewhoneveryet——{2}
Havingpartedwiththewritingsonmostsatisfactoryterms,——for,inopeningnegotiationswiththepresentJournal,wasInotplacingmyselfinthehandsofOneofwhomitmaybesaid,inthewordsofAnother,{2,}——resumedmyusualfunctions。ButItoosoondiscoveredthatpeaceofmindhadfledfromabrowwhich,uptothattime,Timehadmerelytookthehairoff,leavinganunruffledexpansewithin。
Itweresuperfluoustoveilit,——thebrowtowhichIalludeismyown。
Yes,overthatbrowuneasinessgatheredlikethesablewingofthefabledbird,as——asnodoubtwillbeeasilyidentifiedbyallright-
mindedindividuals。Ifnot,Iamunable,onthespurofthemoment,toenterintoparticularsofhim。Thereflectionthatthewritingsmustnowinevitablygetintoprint,andthatHemightyetliveandmeetwiththem,satliketheHagofNightuponmyjadedform。Theelasticityofmyspiritsdeparted。FruitlesswastheBottle,whetherWineorMedicine。Ihadrecoursetoboth,andtheeffectofbothuponmysystemwaswitheringlylowering。
Inthisstateofdepression,intowhichIsubsidedwhenIfirstbegantorevolvewhatcouldIeversayifHe——theunknown——wastoappearintheCoffee-roomanddemandreparation,IoneforenooninthislastNovemberreceivedaturnthatappearedtobegivenmebythefingerofFateandConscience,handinhand。IwasaloneintheCoffee-room,andhadjustpokedthefireintoablaze,andwasstandingwithmybacktoit,tryingwhetherheatwouldpenetratewithsoothinginfluencetotheVoicewithin,whenayoungmaninacap,ofanintelligentcountenance,thoughrequiringhishaircut,stoodbeforeme。
\"Mr。Christopher,theHeadWaiter?\"
\"Thesame。\"
Theyoungmanshookhishairoutofhisvision,——whichitimpeded,——
toapacketfromhisbreast,andhandingitovertome,said,withhiseye(ordidIdream?)fixedwithalambentmeaningonme,\"THE
PROOFS。\"
AlthoughIsmeltmycoat-tailssingeingatthefire,Ihadnotthepowertowithdrawthem。Theyoungmanputthepacketinmyfalteringgrasp,andrepeated,——letmedohimthejusticetoadd,withcivility:
\"THEPROOFS。A。Y。R。\"
Withthosewordshedeparted。
A。Y。R。?AndYouRemember。Wasthathismeaning?AtYourRisk。
WerethelettersshortforTHATreminder?AnticipateYourRetribution。DidtheystandforTHATwarning?Out-daciousYouthRepent?Butno;forthat,aOwashappilywanting,andthevowelherewasaA。
Iopenedthepacket,andfoundthatitscontentsweretheforegoingwritingsprintedjustasthereader(mayIaddthediscerningreader?)perusesthem。Invainwasthereassuringwhisper,——A。Y。R。,AlltheYearRound,——itcouldnotcanceltheProofs。Tooappropriatename。TheProofsofmyhavingsoldtheWritings。
Mywretchednessdailyincreased。IhadnotthoughtoftheriskI
ran,andthedefyingpublicityIputmyheadinto,untilallwasdone,andallwasinprint。Giveupthemoneytobeoffthebargainandpreventthepublication,Icouldnot。Myfamilywasdownintheworld,Christmaswascomingon,abrotherinthehospitalandasisterintherheumaticscouldnotbeentirelyneglected。AnditwasnotonlyinsinthefamilythathadtoldontheresourcesofoneunaidedWaitering;outswerenotwanting。Abrotheroutofasituation,andanotherbrotheroutofmoneytomeetanacceptance,andanotherbrotheroutofhismind,andanotherbrotheroutatNewYork(notthesame,thoughitmightappearso),hadreallyandtrulybroughtmetoastandtillIcouldturnmyselfround。Igotworseandworseinmymeditations,constantlyreflecting\"TheProofs,\"andreflectingthatwhenChristmasdrewnearer,andtheProofswerepublished,therecouldbenosafetyfromhourtohourbutthatHemightconfrontmeintheCoffee-room,andinthefaceofdayandhiscountrydemandhisrights。
Theimpressiveandunlooked-forcatastrophetowardswhichIdimlypointedthereader(shallIadd,thehighlyintellectualreader?)inmyfirstremarksnowrapidlyapproaches。
ItwasNovemberstill,butthelastechoesoftheGuyFoxeshadlongceasedtoreverberate。Wewasslack,——severaljointsunderouraveragemark,andwine,ofcourse,proportionate。Soslackhadwebecomeatlast,thatBedsNos。26,27,28,and31,havingtooktheirsixo’clockdinners,anddozedovertheirrespectivepints,haddroveawayintheirrespectiveHansomsfortheirrespectiveNightMail-trainsandleftusempty。
IhadtooktheeveningpapertoNo。6table,——whichiswarmandmosttobepreferred,——and,lostintheall-absorbingtopicsoftheday,haddroppedintoaslumber。Iwasrecalledtoconsciousnessbythewell-knownintimation,\"Waiter!\"andreplying,\"Sir!\"foundagentlemanstandingatNo。4table。Thereader(shallIadd,theobservantreader?)willpleasetonoticethelocalityofthegentleman,——ATNO。4TABLE。
Hehadoneofthenewfangleduncollapsablebagsinhishand(whichI
amagainst,forIdon’tseewhyyoushouldn’tcollapse,whileyouareaboutit,asyourfatherscollapsedbeforeyou),andhesaid:
\"Iwanttodine,waiter。Ishallsleephereto-night。\"
\"Verygood,sir。Whatwillyoutakefordinner,sir?\"
\"Soup,bitofcodfish,oystersauce,andthejoint。\"
\"Thankyou,sir。\"
Irangthechambermaid’sbell;andMrs。Pratchettmarchedin,accordingtocustom,demurelycarryingalightedflatcandlebeforeher,asifshewasoneofalongpublicprocession,alltheothermembersofwhichwasinvisible。
Inthemeanwhilethegentlemanhadgoneuptothemantelpiece,rightinfrontofthefire,andhadlaidhisforeheadagainstthemantelpiece(whichitisalowone,andbroughthimintotheattitudeofleap-frog),andhadheavedatremenjoussigh。Hishairwaslongandlightish;andwhenhelaidhisforeheadagainstthemantelpiece,hishairallfellinadustyflufftogetheroverhiseyes;andwhenhenowturnedroundandlifteduphisheadagain,itallfellinadustyflufftogetheroverhisears。Thisgivehimawildappearance,similartoablastedheath。
\"O!Thechambermaid。Ah!\"Hewasturningsomethinginhismind。
\"Tobesure。Yes。Iwon’tgoup-stairsnow,ifyouwilltakemybag。Itwillbeenoughforthepresenttoknowmynumber。——Canyougiveme24B?\"
(OConscience,whataAdderartthou!)
Mrs。Pratchettallottedhimtheroom,andtookhisbagtoit。Hethenwentbackbeforethefire,andfellabitinghisnails。
\"Waiter!\"bitingbetweenthewords,\"giveme,\"bite,\"penandpaper;
andinfiveminutes,\"bite,\"letmehave,ifyouplease,\"bite,\"a\",bite,\"Messenger。\"
Unmindfulofhiswaningsoup,hewroteandsentoffsixnotesbeforehetouchedhisdinner。ThreewereCity;threeWest-End。TheCitylettersweretoCornhill,Ludgate-hill,andFarringdonStreet。TheWest-EndlettersweretoGreatMarlboroughStreet,NewBurlingtonStreet,andPiccadilly。Everybodywassystematicallydeniedateveryoneofthesixplaces,andtherewasnotavestigeofanyanswer。Ourlightporterwhisperedtome,whenhecamebackwiththatreport,\"AllBooksellers。\"
Butbeforethenhehadclearedoffhisdinner,andhisbottleofwine。Henow——marktheconcurrencewiththedocumentformerlygiveninfull!——knockedaplateofbiscuitsoffthetablewithhisagitatedelber(butwithoutbreakage),anddemandedboilingbrandy-
and-water。
NowfullyconvincedthatitwasHimself,Iperspiredwiththeutmostfreedom。Whenhebecameflushedwiththeheatedstimulantreferredto,heagaindemandedpenandpaper,andpassedthesucceedingtwohoursinproducingamanuscriptwhichheputinthefirewhencompleted。Hethenwentuptobed,attendedbyMrs。Pratchett。
Mrs。Pratchett(whowasawareofmyemotions)toldme,oncomingdown,thatshehadnoticedhiseyerollingintoeverycornerofthepassagesandstaircase,asifinsearchofhisLuggage,andthat,lookingbackassheshutthedoorof24B,sheperceivedhimwithhiscoatalreadythrownoffimmersinghimselfbodilyunderthebedstead,likeachimley-sweepbeforetheapplicationofmachinery。
Thenextday——Iforbearthehorrorsofthatnight——wasaveryfoggydayinourpartofLondon,insomuchthatitwasnecessarytolighttheCoffee-roomgas。Wewasstillalone,andnofeverishwordsofminecandojusticetothefitfulnessofhisappearanceashesatatNo。4table,increasedbytherebeingsomethingwrongwiththemeter。
Havingagainorderedhisdinner,hewentout,andwasoutforthebestpartoftwohours。Inquiringonhisreturnwhetheranyoftheanswershadarrived,andreceivinganunqualifiednegative,hisinstantcallwasformulligatawny,thecayennepepper,andorangebrandy。
Feelingthatthemortalstrugglewasnowathand,IalsofeltthatI
mustbeequaltohim,andwiththatviewresolvedthatwhateverhetookIwouldtake。Behindmypartition,butkeepingmyeyeonhimoverthecurtain,IthereforeoperatedonMulligatawny,CayennePepper,andOrangeBrandy。Andatalaterperiodoftheday,whenheagainsaid,\"OrangeBrandy,\"Isaidsotoo,inalowertone,toGeorge,mySecondLieutenant(myFirstwasabsentonleave),whoactsbetweenmeandthebar。
ThroughoutthatawfuldayhewalkedabouttheCoffee-roomcontinually。Oftenhecamecloseuptomypartition,andthenhiseyerolledwithin,tooevidentlyinsearchofanysignsofhisLuggage。Half-pastsixcame,andIlaidhiscloth。HeorderedabottleofoldBrown。IlikewiseorderedabottleofoldBrown。Hedrankhis。Idrankmine(asnearlyasmydutieswouldpermit)glassforglassagainsthis。Hetoppedwithcoffeeandasmallglass。I
toppedwithcoffeeandasmallglass。Hedozed。Idozed。Atlast,\"Waiter!\"——andheorderedhisbill。Themomentwasnowathandwhenwetwomustbelockedinthedeadlygrapple。
Swiftasthearrowfromthebow,Ihadformedmyresolution;inotherwords,Ihadhammereditoutbetweennineandnine。Itwas,thatIwouldbethefirsttoopenupthesubjectwithafullacknowledgment,andwouldofferanygradualsettlementwithinmypower。Hepaidhisbill(doingwhatwasrightbyattendance)withhiseyerollingabouthimtothelastforanytokensofhisLuggage。
Oneonlytimeourgazethenmet,withthelustrousfixedness(I
believeIamcorrectinimputingthatcharactertoit?)ofthewell-
knownBasilisk。Thedecisivemomenthadarrived。
Withatolerablesteadyhand,thoughwithhumility,IlaidTheProofsbeforehim。
\"GraciousHeavens!\"hecriesout,leapingup,andcatchingholdofhishair。\"What’sthis?Print!\"
\"Sir,\"Ireplied,inacalmingvoice,andbendingforward,\"Ihumblyacknowledgetobeingtheunfortunatecauseofit。ButIhope,sir,thatwhenyouhaveheardthecircumstancesexplained,andtheinnocenceofmyintentions——\"
Tomyamazement,Iwasstoppedshortbyhiscatchingmeinbothhisarms,andpressingmetohisbreast-bone;whereImustconfesstomyface(andparticular,nose)havingundergonesometemporaryvexationfromhiswearinghiscoatbuttonedhighup,andhisbuttonsbeinguncommonhard。
\"Ha,ha,ha!\"hecries,releasingmewithawildlaugh,andgraspingmyhand。\"Whatisyourname,myBenefactor?\"
\"Myname,sir\"(Iwascrumpled,andpuzzledtomakehimout),\"isChristopher;andIhope,sir,that,assuch,whenyou’veheardmyex-\"
\"Inprint!\"heexclaimsagain,dashingtheproofsoverandoverasifhewasbathinginthem。——\"Inprint!!OChristopher!
Philanthropist!Nothingcanrecompenseyou,——butwhatsumofmoneywouldbeacceptabletoyou?\"
Ihaddrawnastepbackfromhim,orIshouldhavesufferedfromhisbuttonsagain。
\"Sir,Iassureyou,Ihavebeenalreadywellpaid,and——\"
\"No,no,Christopher!Don’ttalklikethat!Whatsumofmoneywouldbeacceptabletoyou,Christopher?Wouldyoufindtwentypoundsacceptable,Christopher?\"
Howevergreatmysurprise,Inaturallyfoundwordstosay,\"Sir,I
amnotawarethatthemanwaseveryetbornwithoutmorethantheaverageamountofwateronthebrainaswouldnotfindtwentypoundsacceptable。But——extremelyobligedtoyou,sir,I’msure;\"forhehadtumbleditoutofhispurseandcrammeditinmyhandintwobank-notes;\"butIcouldwishtoknow,sir,ifnotintruding,howI
havemeritedthisliberality?\"
\"Knowthen,myChristopher,\"hesays,\"thatfromboyhood’shourI
haveunremittinglyandunavailinglyendeavouredtogetintoprint。
Know,Christopher,thatalltheBooksellersalive——andseveraldead——
haverefusedtoputmeintoprint。Know,Christopher,thatIhavewrittenunprintedReams。Buttheyshallbereadtoyou,myfriendandbrother。Yousometimeshaveaholiday?\"
SeeingthegreatdangerIwasin,Ihadthepresenceofmindtoanswer,\"Never!\"Tomakeitmorefinal,Iadded,\"Never!Notfromthecradletothegrave。\"
\"Well,\"sayshe,thinkingnomoreaboutthat,andchucklingathisproofsagain。\"ButIaminprint!Thefirstflightofambitionemanatingfrommyfather’slowlycotisrealisedatlength!Thegoldenbow\"——hewasgettingon,——\"struckbythemagichand,hasemittedacompleteandperfectsound!Whendidthishappen,myChristopher?\"
\"Whichhappen,sir?\"
\"This,\"hehelditoutatarmslengthtoadmireit,——\"thisPer-
rint。\"
WhenIhadgivenhimmydetailedaccountofit,hegraspedmebythehandagain,andsaid:
\"DearChristopher,itshouldbegratifyingtoyoutoknowthatyouareaninstrumentinthehandsofDestiny。BecauseyouARE。\"
ApassingSomethingofamelancholycastputitintomyheadtoshakeit,andtosay,\"Perhapsweallare。\"
\"Idon’tmeanthat,\"heanswered;\"Idon’ttakethatwiderange;I
confinemyselftothespecialcase。Observemewell,myChristopher!Hopelessofgettingrid,throughanyeffortofmyown,ofanyofthemanuscriptsamongmyLuggage,——allofwhich,sendthemwhereIwould,werealwayscomingbacktome,——itisnowsomesevenyearssinceIleftthatLuggagehere,onthedesperatechance,eitherthatthetoo,toofaithfulmanuscriptswouldcomebacktomenomore,orthatsomeonelessaccursedthanImightgivethemtotheworld。Youfollowme,myChristopher?\"
\"Prettywell,sir。\"Ifollowedhimsofarastojudgethathehadaweakhead,andthattheOrange,theBoiling,andOldBrowncombinedwasbeginningtotell。(TheOldBrown,beingheady,isbestadaptedtoseasonedcases。)
\"Yearselapsed,andthosecompositionsslumberedindust。Atlength,Destiny,choosingheragentfromallmankind,sentYouhere,Christopher,andlo!theCasketwasburstasunder,andtheGiantwasfree!\"
Hemadehayofhishairafterhesaidthis,andhestooda-tiptoe。
\"But,\"heremindedhimselfinastateofexcitement,\"wemustsitupallnight,myChristopher。ImustcorrecttheseProofsforthepress。Fillalltheinkstands,andbringmeseveralnewpens。\"
HesmearedhimselfandhesmearedtheProofs,thenightthrough,tothatdegreethatwhenSolgavehimwarningtodepart(inafour-
wheeler),fewcouldhavesaidwhichwasthem,andwhichwashim,andwhichwasblots。Hislastinstructionswas,thatIshouldinstantlyrunandtakehiscorrectionstotheofficeofthepresentJournal。
Ididso。Theymostlikelywillnotappearinprint,forInoticedamessagebeingbroughtroundfromBeaufordPrintingHouse,whileI
wasathrowingthisconcludingstatementonpaper,thattheoleresourcesofthatestablishmentwasunabletomakeoutwhattheymeant。Uponwhichacertaingentlemanincompany,asIwillnotmoreparticularlyname,——butofwhomitwillbesufficienttoremark,standingonthebroadbasisofawave-girtisle,thatwhetherweregardhiminthelightof,——{3}laughed,andputthecorrectionsinthefire。
Footnotes:
{1}Itsnameandaddressatlength,withotherfullparticulars,alleditoriallystruckout。
{2}Theremainderofthiscomplimentarysentenceeditoriallystruckout。
{3}Theremainderofthiscomplimentaryparenthesiseditoriallystruckout。