The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Rogue's Life, by Wilkie Collins

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Title: A Rogue's Life

Author: Wilkie Collins

Release Date: February 21, 2006 [EBook #1588]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A ROGUE'S LIFE ***

Produced by James Rusk and David Widger

A ROGUE'S LIFE

by Wilkie Collins

INTRODUCTORY WORDS.

The following pages were written more than twenty years since, and were
then published periodically in _Household Words._

In the original form of publication the Rogue was very favorably
received. Year after year, I delayed the republication, proposing,
at the suggestion of my old friend, Mr. Charles Reade, to enlarge
the present sketch of the hero's adventures in Australia. But the
opportunity of carrying out this project has proved to be one of the
lost opportunities of my life. I republish the story with its
original conclusion unaltered, but with such occasional additions and
improvements as will, I hope, render it more worthy of attention at the
present time.

The critical reader may possibly notice a tone of almost boisterous
gayety in certain parts of these imaginary Confessions. I can only
plead, in defense, that the story offers the faithful reflection of a
very happy time in my past life. It was written at Paris, when I had
Charles Dickens for a near neighbor and a daily companion, and when
my leisure hours were joyously passed with many other friends, all
associated with literature and art, of whom the admirable comedian,
Regnier, is now the only survivor. The revising of these pages has been
to me a melancholy task. I can only hope that they may cheer the sad
moments of others. The Rogue may surely claim two merits, at least,
in the eyes of the new generation--he is never serious for two moments
together; and he "doesn't take long to read." W. C.

GLOUCESTER PLACE, LONDON, _March_ 6th, 1879.

A ROGUE'S LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

I AM going to try if I can't write something about myself. My life
has been rather a strange one. It may not seem particularly useful or
respectable; but it has been, in some respects, adventurous; and that
may give it claims