esterday
week, at half-past 7 in the morning, we had a smart shock of an
earthquake, lasting, perhaps, a quarter of a minute. It awoke me in bed.
The sensation was so curious and unlike any other, that I called out at
the top of my voice I was sure it was an earthquake."

CHAPTER XIV.

REVOLUTION AT GENEVA, CHRISTMAS BOOK, AND LAST DAYS IN SWITZERLAND.

1846.

At Lausanne--Large Sale of _Dombey_--Christmas
Book done--At Geneva--Back to _Dombey_--Rising
against the Jesuits--The Fight in Geneva--Rifle
against Cannon--Genevese "Aristocracy"--Swiss
"Rabble"--Traces left by the
Revolution--Smaller Revolution in
Whitefriars--_Daily News_ changes--Letters
about his _Battle of Life_--Sketch of
Story--Difficulty in Plot--His own
Comments--Date of Story--Reply to
Criticism--Stanfield's Offer of
Illustrations--Doubts of Third Part--Tendency
to Blank Verse--Stanfield's Designs--Grave
Mistake by Leech--Last Days in
Switzerland--Mountain Winds--A Ravine in the
Hills--Sadness of Leave-taking--Travelling to
Paris.

"I SEND you in twelve letters, counting this as one, the first two parts
(thirty-five slips) of the Christmas book. I have two present anxieties
respecting it. One to know that you have received it safely; and the
second to know how it strikes you. Be sure you read the first and second
parts together. . . . There seems to me to be interest in it, and a pretty
idea; and it is unlike the others. . . . There will be some minor points
for consideration: as, the necessity for some slight alterations in one
or two of the Doctor's speeches in the first part; and whether it should
be called 'The Battle of Life. A Love Story'--to express both a love
story in the common acceptation of the phrase, and also a story of love;
with one or two other things of that sort. We can moot these by and by.
I made a tremendous day's work of it yesterday and was horribly
excited--so I am going to rush out, as fast as I can: being a little
used up, and sick. . . . But never say die! I have been to the glass to
look at my eye. Pretty bright!"

I made it brighter next day by telling him that the first number of
_Dombey_ had outstripped in sale the first of _Chuzzlewit_ by more than
twelve thousand copies; and his next letter, sending the close of his
little tale, showed his need of the comfort my ple