Part 25 (1/2)

He continued: 'Mark my words; the day will coreater jugglers in the world than your players, wonderful as their art of transformation is The world is all a cheat; its pleasures are for hierdeled out of his share of them But that will not I be'

He then turned the conversation tomy short narrative, but ere interrupted by an acquaintance, who joined us; and o or three tiain in the billiard-roo however he followed ly I told his of indignation which the subject always awakened He rather seery sensations, and asked ht those s, and other hard nahbours?'

He paidcharacterized Wakefield according to the traits iven me, he observed that 'this Wakefieldfellow, and of no mean abilities'

'In my opinion,' I replied, 'he is an unprincipled scoundrel; and indeed a greater fool than knave; for, with the saenuity that he has exerted to ht have made them all his friends'

Belenuity yourself, Mr Trevor; talents which you have exerted, in your oay Have you made all men your friends?'

I was silent, and after a enerosity; I will tell you how you can serve ood supply at thisexpences Lend uineas: I will be back in a week and repay you'

The pleasantness of his huained upon me, were sufficient to insure him a compliance with this request

I had the ave it him, and we bade each other adieu; with a proain, new moulted and full of feather'

Ihad occasion to hint at Miss Wil her name, which he never indeed see to her He inquired too concerning her brother; and, though he gave no tokens of deep passion, was evidently interested in the whole narrative His queries extended even to the bishop, and the earl; and he discovered a great desire to be atories were answered without reserve, for I understood theht, I ain, at the usual place: for he had always been averse to visit s This I had attributed toapartments perhaps, such as he wished, to invite me to in return His appearance, the moment I saw him, spoke his success His dress was ed at play more than once betted ten pounds upon the hazard He was successful in his h spirits, welcohts in which his vigorous iination was so happy

'Life,' said he, 'Trevor,' putting on his coat after he had done play, 'life is a game at calculation; and he that plays the best of it is the cleverest fellow Or, rather, calculation and action are husband and wife; reatest errors of Mrs Action proceed fro fe before her husband, Mr

Calculation, has given her proper directions She often pours a spoonful of scalding soup into his worshi+p's mouth, before the relative heat between the liquid and the papillary nerves has been properly determined; at which, in the aforesaid true feminine spirit, she is apt, while he hter

'Not but that Mrs Action herself has soainst her spouse; asdown stairs, Mr Calculation have made an occasional error but of a unit, and told her ladyshi+p she had only one stepwith an unexpected jerk in the increased ratio of a falling body, is very ue has happened, on such occasions, to project a little beyond the boundaries prescribed by those beautiful barriers of ivory called her teeth, it has suffered a sudden incision; nay sometimes amputation itself: a very seriousa lady in a tender part

'What is error? Defect in calculation What is ignorance? Defect in calculation What is poverty, disgrace, and all the misfortunes to which fools are subject? Defect in calculation'

By this ti arory--

'You tell me you have a mind to turn author; and this ebra of authorshi+p Could you but calculate the exact nu the trade, could you but find the sum of the objections which yourself, your friends, and your eainst the best book that ever was or will be written, the reative quantity, which would probably prevent both Sir and Madaood sense, the poetry or the prose, the siorical genius, Hugh Trevor: for in that case I suspect Hugh Trevor would find a more pleasant and profitable employment than the honourable trade of authorshi+p I have read booksmy wit to a better market than the slow and tedious detail of an A, B, C, hed and listened, and he presently broke forth with another simile

'In what is the maker of a book better than the maker of a coat?

Needle and thread, pen and ink; cloth uncut and paper unsoiled; where is the preference? except that the tailor's entleave us plenty of stay-tape and buckraive us a _quantum sufficit_ of hard words and parenthesis The tailor has discovered that a new coat will sit e_, and wear better, the less it is incuh buckram is almost banished from Monmouth-street, it is still on sale in Paternoster-row

'I once began to write a book an it in this very style: Fable, said I, is the cloth, and , satire ensures fashi+on, and humour duration; and for an author to pretend to write without wit and judgment were as senseless as for a tailor to endeavour to ithout materials, or shears to cut them Periods may aptly be compared to buttons; and button holes are like--

'I could find no simile for button holes, and thank heaven! left off in despair and never wrote another line

'Take hts of so joyless and stupifying a trade! Every blockhead can sneer at an author; the title itself is a sarcasm; and Job, e are told was the most patient of men, uttered the bitterest wish that ever fell from lips: ”Oh that mine enemy had written a book!”

'Beside you are a fellow of spirit, fashi+on, forure; and if you will but keep company with me may learn a little wit How many fools are there with full purses, which if you be not as great a fool as any of theht find the means to empty? He that is bound by rules, which the rich make purposely to rob the poor of their due, is like crows, scared fros and a ave ined to be a free loose , that did not correspond with his principles of action I deeinal turn of thought, and was confirmed in the supposition by his ironical and ludicrous replies, whenever I atte of an acquaintance of which the reader will hear more

CHAPTER VII

_An ience: The reverse, or rain after sunshi+ne: The reader entrusted with a secret: Strange behaviour of a false friend: Lover's vows_

I did not suffer a day to pass without either seeing or sending to inquire after Miss Wilmot; so that our intercourse was continual One afternoon, being in ht footsteps and female voices on the stairs, Mary knocked at erness on her countenance, theof which a question from me immediately caused her to explain