’Myheartbeatsso。Well，Iwentbacktomyboothandpickedupmystallandmyfruits，whatIcouldfindofthem。Icouldn’tkeepmystallfortwodaysIgotsuchafright，andwhenIgotroundI
couldn’tbidetheboothwherethethinghadhappened，soIcameovertotheotherside。Oh，therascals，ifIcouldbutseethemhanged。’
’Forwhat？’
’Why，forstealingmybook。’
’Ithoughtyoudidn’tdislikestealing，-thatyouwerereadytobuythings-therewasyourson，youknow-’
’Yes，tobesure。’
’Hetookthings。’
’Tobesurehedid。’
’Butyoudon’tlikeathingofyourstobetaken。’
’No，that’squiteadifferentthing；what’sstealinghandkerchiefs，andthatkindofthing，todowithtakingmybook？there’sawidedifference-don’tyousee？’
’Yes，Isee。’
’Doyou，dear？well，blessyourheart，I’mgladyoudo。Wouldyouliketolookatthebook？’
’Well，IthinkIshould。’
’Honourbright？’saidtheapple-woman，lookingmeintheeyes。
’Honourbright，’saidI，lookingtheapple-womanintheeyes。
’Wellthen，dear，hereitis，’saidshe，takingitfromunderhercloak；’readitaslongasyoulike，onlygetalittlefartherintothebooth-Don’tsitsoneartheedge-youmight-’
Iwentdeepintothebooth，andtheapple-woman，bringingherchairround，almostconfrontedme。Icommencedreadingthebook，andwassoonengrossedbyit；hourspassedaway，onceortwiceIliftedupmyeyes，theapple-womanwasstillconfrontingme：atlastmyeyesbegantoache，whereuponIreturnedthebooktotheapple-woman，and，givingheranothertanner，walkedaway。
CHAPTERXLI
DeceaseoftheReview-Homerhimself-Breadandcheese-Fingerandthumb-Impossibletofind-Somethinggrand-Universalmixture-Someotherpublisher。
TIMEpassedaway，andwithittheReview，which，contrarytothepublisher’sexpectation，didnotproveasuccessfulspeculation。
Aboutfourmonthsaftertheperiodofitsbirthitexpired，asallReviewsmustforwhichthereisnodemand。Authorshadceasedtosendtheirpublicationstoit，and，consequently，topurchaseit；
forIhavealreadyhintedthatitwasalmostentirelysupportedbyauthorsofaparticularclass，whoexpectedtoseetheirpublicationsforedoomedtoimmortalityinitspages。ThebehaviouroftheseauthorstowardsthisunfortunatepublicationIcanattributetonoothercausethantoareportwhichwasindustriouslycirculated，namely，thattheReviewwaslow，andthattobereviewedinitwasaninfalliblesignthatonewasalowperson，whocouldbereviewednowhereelse。Soauthorstookfright；andnowonder，foritwillneverdoforanauthortobeconsideredlow。HomerhimselfhasneveryetentirelyrecoveredfromtheinjuryhereceivedbyLordChesterfield’sremarkthatthespeechesofhisheroeswerefrequentlyexceedinglylow。
SotheReviewceased，andthereviewingcorpsnolongerexistedassuch；theyforthwithreturnedtotheirproperavocations-theeditortocomposetunesonhispiano，andtothetaskofdisposingoftheremainingcopiesofhisQuintilian-theinferiormemberstoworkingforthepublisher，beingtoamandependantsofhis；one，tocomposingfairytales；another，tocollectingmiraclesofPopishsaints；andathird，Newgatelivesandtrials。OwingtothebadsuccessoftheReview，thepublisherbecamemorefuriousthanever。
Mymoneywasgrowingshort，andIonedayaskedhimtopaymeformylaboursinthedeceasedpublication。
’Sir，’saidthepublisher，’whatdoyouwantthemoneyfor？’
’Merelytoliveon，’Ireplied；’itisverydifficulttoliveinthistownwithoutmoney。’
’Howmuchmoneydidyoubringwithyoutotown？’demandedthepublisher。
’Sometwentyorthirtypounds，’Ireplied。
’Andyouhavespentitalready？’
’No，’saidI，’notentirely；butitisfastdisappearing。’
’Sir，’saidthepublisher，’Ibelieveyoutobeextravagant；yes，sir，extravagant!’
’Onwhatgroundsdoyousupposemetobeso？’
’Sir，’saidthepublisher，’youeatmeat。’
’Yes，’saidI，’Ieatmeatsometimes；whatshouldIeat？’
’Bread，sir，’saidthepublisher；’breadandcheese。’
’SoIdo，sir，whenIamdisposedtoindulge；butIcannotoftenaffordit-itisveryexpensivetodineonbreadandcheese，especiallywhenoneisfondofcheese，asIam。Mylastbreadandcheesedinnercostmefourteenpence。Thereisdrink，sir；withbreadandcheeseonemustdrinkporter，sir。’
’Then，sir，eatbread-breadalone。Asgoodmenasyourselfhaveeatenbreadalone；theyhavebeengladtogetit，sir。Ifwithbreadandcheeseyoumustdrinkporter，sir，withbreadaloneyoucan，perhaps，drinkwater，sir。’
However，IgotpaidatlastformywritingsintheReview，not，itistrue，inthecurrentcoinoftherealm，butincertainbills；
thereweretwoofthem，onepayableattwelve，andtheotherateighteenmonthsafterdate。ItwasalongtimebeforeIcouldturnthesebillstoanyaccount；atlastIfoundapersonwho，atadiscountofonlythirtypercent，consentedtocashthem；not，however，withoutsundrygrimaces，and，whatwasstillmoregalling，holding，morethanonce，theunfortunatepapershighinairbetweenhisforefingerandthumb。Soill，indeed，didIlikethislastaction，thatIfeltmuchinclinedtosnatchthemaway。I
restrainedmyself，however，forIrememberedthatitwasverydifficulttolivewithoutmoney，andthat，ifthepresentpersondidnotdiscountthebills，Ishouldprobablyfindnooneelsethatwould。
ButifthetreatmentwhichIhadexperiencedfromthepublisher，previoustomakingthisdemanduponhim，wasdifficulttobear，thatwhichIsubsequentlyunderwentwasfarmoreso：hisgreatdelightseemedtoconsistincausingmemiseryandmortification；
if，onformeroccasions，hewascontinuallysendingmeinquestoflivesandtrialsdifficulttofind，henowwascontinuallydemandinglivesandtrialswhichitwasimpossibletofind；thepersonageswhomhementionedneverhavinglived，norconsequentlybeentried。Moreover，someofmybestlivesandtrialswhichIhadcorrectedandeditedwithparticularcare，andonwhichIpridedmyselfnolittle，hecausedtobecancelledaftertheyhadpassedthroughthepress。Amongstthesewasthelifeof’GentlemanHarry。’’Theyaredrugs，sir，’saidthepublisher，’drugs；thatlifeofHarrySimmshaslongbeenthegreatestdruginthecalendar-hasitnot，Taggart？’
Taggartmadenoanswersavebytakingapinchofsnuff。Thereader，has，Ihope，notforgottenTaggart，whomImentionedwhilstgivinganaccountofmyfirstmorning’svisittothepublisher。I
begTaggart’spardonforhavingbeensolongsilentabouthim；buthewasaverysilentman-yettherewasmuchinTaggart-andTaggarthadalwaysbeencivilandkindtomeinhispeculiarway。
’Well，younggentleman，’saidTaggarttomeonemorning，whenwechancedtobealoneafewdaysaftertheaffairofthecancelling，’howdoyoulikeauthorship？’
’IscarcelycallauthorshipthedrudgeryIamengagedin，’saidI。
’Whatdoyoucallauthorship？’saidTaggart。
’Iscarcelyknow，’saidI；’thatis，IcanscarcelyexpresswhatI
thinkit。’
’ShallIhelpyouout？’saidTaggart，turningroundhischair，andlookingatme。
’Ifyoulike，’saidI。
’Towritesomethinggrand，’saidTaggart，takingsnuff；’tobestaredat-liftedonpeople’sshoulders-’
’Well，’saidI，’thatissomethinglikeit。’
Taggarttooksnuff。’Well，’saidhe，’whydon’tyouwritesomethinggrand？’
’Ihave，’saidI。
’What？’saidTaggart。
’Why，’saidI，’therearethoseballads。’
Taggarttooksnuff。
’AndthosewonderfulversionsfromAbGwilym。’
Taggarttooksnuffagain。
’Youseemtobeveryfondofsnuff，’saidI，lookingathimangrily。
Taggarttappedhisbox。