ent he had left, and found a most
righteous statement of the services rendered by this great and good man;
which, after giving credit to Mr. Bumpkin for cash received from Mr.
Skinalive, Mr. Prigg's friend, of seven hundred and twenty-two pounds,
six shillings and eightpence-half-penny, left a balance due to Honest
Lawyer Prigg of three hundred and twenty-eight pounds, seven shillings
and threepence,--subject, of course, to be reduced on taxation.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Farewell.

The last chapter of a book must always possess a special and melancholy
interest for the author. He gives his words reluctantly, almost
grudgingly, like one who is spending his last coins and will soon be left
penniless upon the world. Or like one who is passing his last moments at
the house of a friend whom he may see no more for ever. The author is
taking farewell of his characters and his readers, and therefore his
regret is twofold; added to which is the doubt as to whether, judged by
the severe standard of Public Opinion, he has been faithful to both.
Thought is large, and may fill the world, permeating every class and
every section of society; it may be circumscribed, and operate only upon
some infinitesimal proportion of mankind: but whether great or small, for
good or evil, it is published, and a corresponding responsibility
devolves upon the writer. I record my dream faithfully, and am therefore
exonerated, in my conscience, from responsibility in its effect.

How shall I describe the closing scene of this eventful story? I will
imagine nothing; I will exaggerate nothing; for, during the whole
progress of the story, it has been my constant care not to give the most
captious critic the opportunity of saying that I have exaggerated a
single incident. I will relate faithfully what I saw in my dream, and
that only; diminishing nothing, and adding nothing.

In my waking moments my wife said it was very wrong of Mr. Bumpkin, after
all that Mr. Prigg had done for him, to be so rude. I agreed that it
was: but said, great allowance must be made for Mr. Bumpkin's want of
education. Then said my wife, "Will not some shallow-minded persons say
that your story attacks the administration of justice?" To which I
replied that it did not matter what shallow-minded persons said, but that
in fact I had in no way attacked the administration of justice; nor had I
in the least degree reflected on the great body of respectable solicitors
w