323
Decision to go 324

CHAPTER XIV. 1836-1870.

Pages 325-386.

DICKENS AS A NOVELIST. AET. 24-58.

See before you oversee 326
M. Taine's criticism 326
What is overlooked in it 327
A popularity explained 328
National excuses for Dickens 330
Comparison with Balzac 330
Anticipatory reply to M. Taine 332
A critic in the _Fortnightly Review_ 333
Blame and praise to be reconciled 333
A plea for objectors 334
"Hallucinative" imagination 335
Vain critical warnings 336
The critic and the criticised 336
An opinion on the Micawbers 338
Hallucinative phenomena 338
Scott writing _Bride of Lammermoor_ 339
Claim to be fairly judged 340
Dickens's leading quality 341
Dangers of Humour 342
His earlier books 343
Mastery of dialogue 344
Character-drawing 345
Realities of fiction 346
Fielding and Dickens 347
Touching of extremes 347
Why the creations of fiction live 349
Enjoyment of his own humour 350
Unpublished note of Lord Lytton 350
Exaggerations of humour 351
Temptations of all great humourists 352
A word for fanciful descriptions 353
_Tale of Two Cities_ 355
Difficulties and success 355
Specialty of treatment 356
Reply to objections 357
Care with which Dickens worked