rt. There's _Booty Bay_, now, the book that made
ROBERTSON--_that_ was took down, word for word, from my dictation,
in a back parlour of one of LOCKHART's Cocoa-Rooms. I got fifteen
shillings for that. _He_ got, I daresay, 'undreds of pounds. Well, _I_
don't grudge it to him. As he said, I ought to remember he had all the
_manual_ labour of it. Then there's that other book which has sold
its thousands, _Four Men in a Funny_--that was mine--all but the last
chapter; he _would_ put in that, and, in _my_ opinion, spoilt it, from
an artistic point. But what could I do? It was out of _my_ 'ands! I
must say I never anticipated myself that it would be so popular. 'I
should be robbing you,' I said, 'if I took more than ten shillings for
it.' All the same, it turned out a good bargain for him. Then there's
the Drama, you would hardly credit it that I could name three leading
theatres at this present moment where pieces are running which came
originally out of _my_ 'ed! But it's no use my saying so--no one would
believe it. And now I've 'elped all these men up the ladder, they can
do without me--they can go alone--or think they can. See the way they
write--not a word about owing anything to my 'umble services, a postal
order for three-and-six; but that's the world all over!"

"But surely," you will sympathetically observe, "you will expose them,
you will insist on sharing in the reward of your labours--it is a duty
you owe to the public, as well as yourself!"

[Illustration: "Slow rises worth by poverty depressed."]

"So I've been told, Madam. But what can I do?--I'm a poor man. 'Slow
rises worth, by poverty depressed,' as POPE, or GOLDSMITH--for a
similar idea occurs in both--truly observes. To put my case before the
public as it _ought_ to be put, I should first have to gain the ear of
the Press--and you want a golden key to do that, nowadays. The Press
is very reluctant to run down successful writers. 'Hawks won't pick
out Awkses heyes,' as BURNS remarks. (_By this time you are probably
fumbling for your purse, which, as usual, is at the bottom of
your work-basket._) No, they will find me out some day--after I'm
dead and gone, most likely! In the meantime I envy nobody. I have
the consciousness of Genius, and--I'm sure your generosity is
overwhelming, Madam--I really never ventured to--Pardon these
tears; it is the first time my poor talents have ever obtained such
recognition as this! Could you crown your favours by giving