however，here’sourbrotherwillperhapslettheworldknowsomethingaboutus。’
’Nothe，’saidtheother，withasigh；’he’llhavequiteenoughtodoinwritinghisownlils，andtellingtheworldhowhandsomeandcleverhewas；andwhocanblamehim？NotI。IfIcouldwritelils，everywordshouldbeaboutmyselfandmyowntachoRommanis-
myownlawfulweddedwife，whichisthesamething。Itellyouwhat，brother，IonceheardawisemansayinBrummagem，that“thereisnothinglikeblowingone’sownhorn，“whichIconceivetobemuchthesamethingaswritingone’sownlil。’
Afteralittlemoreconversation，Mr。Petulengroarose，andmotionedmetofollowhim。’Onlyeighteenpenceintheworld，brother？’saidhe，aswewalkedtogether。
’Nothingmore，Iassureyou。HowcameyoutoaskmehowmuchmoneyIhad？’
’Becausetherewassomethinginyourlook，brother，somethingverymuchresemblingthatwhichapersonshowethwhodoesnotcarrymuchmoneyinhispocket。Iwaslookingatmyownfacethismorninginmywife’slooking-glass-Ididnotlookasyoudo，brother。’
’Ibelieveyoursolemotiveforinquiring，’saidI，’wastohaveanopportunityofventingafoolishboast，andtoletmeknowthatyouwereinpossessionoffiftypounds。’
’Whatistheuseofhavingmoneyunlessyouletpeopleknowyouhaveit？’saidMr。Petulengro。’Itisnoteveryonecanreadfaces，brother；and，unlessyouknewIhadmoney，howcouldyouaskmetolendyouany？’
’Iamnotgoingtoaskyoutolendmeany。’
’Thenyoumayhaveitwithoutasking；asIsaidbefore，Ihavefiftypounds，alllawfully-earntmoney，gotbyfightinginthering-Iwilllendyouthat，brother。’
’Youareverykind，’saidI；’butIwillnottakeit。’
’Thenthehalfofit？’
’Northehalfofit；butitisgettingtowardsevening，ImustgobacktotheGreatCity。’
’AndwhatwillyoudointheBoroForos？’
’Iknownot，’saidI。
’Earnmoney？
’IfIcan。’
’Andifyoucan’t？’
’Starve!’
’Youlookill，brother，’saidMr。Petulengro。
’Idonotfeelwell；theGreatCitydoesnotagreewithme。ShouldIbesofortunateastoearnsomemoney，IwouldleavetheBigCity，andtaketothewoodsandfields。’
’Youmaydothat，brother，’saidMr。Petulengro，’whetheryouhavemoneyornot。Ourtentsandhorsesareontheothersideofyonderwoodedhill，comeandstaywithus；weshallallbegladofyourcompany，butmoreespeciallymyselfandmywifePakomovna。’
’Whathillisthat？’Idemanded。
AndthenMr。Petulengrotoldmethenameofthehill。’Weshallstayont’othersideofthehillafortnight，’hecontinued；’and，asyouarefondoflil-writing，youmayemployyourselfprofitablywhilstthere。Youcanwritethelilofhimwhosedockgallopsdownthathilleverynight，evenasthelivingmanwaswonttodolongago。’
’Whowashe？’Idemanded。
’JemmyAbershaw，’saidMr。Petulengro；’oneofthosewhomwecallBorodromengroes，andthegorgioshighway-men。Ionceheardaryesaythatthelifeofthatmanwouldfetchmuchmoney；socometotheothersideofthehill，andwritethelilinthetentofJasperandhiswifePakomovna。’
AtfirstIfeltinclinedtoaccepttheinvitationofMr。
Petulengro；alittleconsideration，however，determinedmetodeclineit。IhadalwaysbeenonexcellenttermswithMr。
Petulengro，butIreflectedthatpeoplemightbeexcellentfriendswhentheymetoccasionallyinthestreet，orontheheath，orinthewood；butthattheseverypeoplewhenlivingtogetherinahouse，tosaynothingofatent，mightquarrel。Ireflected，moreover，thatMr。Petulengrohadawife。Ihadalways，itistrue，beenagreatfavouritewithMrs。Petulengro，whohadfrequentlybeenloudinhercommendationoftheyoungrye，asshecalledme，andhisturnofconversation；butthiswasatatimewhenIstoodinneedofnothing，livedundermyparents’roof，andonlyvisitedatthetentstodivertandtobediverted。Thetimeswerealtered，andIwasbynomeanscertainthatMrs。Petulengro，whensheshoulddiscoverthatIwasinneedbothofshelterandsubsistence，mightnotalterheropinionbothwithrespecttotheindividualandwhathesaid-stigmatisingmyconversationassaucydiscourse，andmyselfasascurvycompanion；andthatshemightbringoverherhusbandtoherownwayofthinking，provided，indeed，heshouldneedanyconducting。Itherefore，thoughwithoutdeclaringmyreasons，declinedtheofferofMr。Petulengro，andpresently，aftershakinghimbythehand，bentagainmycoursetowardstheGreatCity。
IcrossedtheriveratabridgeconsiderablyabovethathightofLondon；for，notbeingacquaintedwiththeway，Imissedtheturningwhichshouldhavebroughtmetothelatter。SuddenlyI
foundmyselfinastreetofwhichIhadsomerecollection，andmechanicallystoppedbeforethewindowofashopatwhichvariouspublicationswereexposed；itwasthatofthebooksellertowhomI
hadlastappliedinthehopeofsellingmyballadsorAbGwilym，andwhohadgivenmehopesthat，intheeventofmywritingadecentnovel，oratale，hewouldproveapurchaser。AsIstoodlistlesslylookingatthewindow，andthepublicationswhichitcontained，Iobservedapaperaffixedtotheglassbywaferswithsomethingwrittenuponit。Idrewyetnearerforthepurposeofinspectingit；thewritingwasinafairroundhand-’ANovelorTaleismuchwanted，’waswhatwaswritten。
CHAPTERLV
Breadandwater-Pairplay-Fashion-ColonelB——JosephSell-
Thekindlyglow-Easiestmannerimaginable。
’IMUSTdosomething，’saidI，asIsatthatnightinmylonelyapartment，withsomebreadandapitcherofwaterbeforeme。
Thereupontakingsomeofthebread，andeatingit，IconsideredwhatIwastodo。’IhavenoideawhatIamtodo，’saidI，asI
stretchedmyhandtowardsthepitcher，’unlessandhereItookaconsiderabledraughtIwriteataleoranovel-Thatbookseller，’
Icontinued，speakingtomyself，’iscertainlymuchinneedofataleoranovel，otherwisehewouldnotadvertiseforone。SupposeIwriteone，Iappeartohavenootherchanceofextricatingmyselffrommypresentdifficulties；surelyitwasFatethatconductedmetohiswindow。
’Iwilldoit，’saidI，asIstruckmyhandagainstthetable；’I
willdoit。’Suddenlyaheavycloudofdespondencycameoverme。
CouldIdoit？HadItheimaginationrequisitetowriteataleoranovel？’Yes，yes，’saidI，asIstruckmyhandagainagainstthetable，’Icanmanageit；givemefairplay，andIcanaccomplishanything。’
ButshouldIhavefairplay？ImusthavesomethingtomaintainmyselfwithwhilstIwrotemytale，andIhadbuteighteenpenceintheworld。WouldthatmaintainmewhilstIwrotemytale？Yes，I
thoughtitwould，providedIatebread，whichdidnotcostmuch，anddrankwater，whichcostnothing；itwaspoordiet，itwastrue，butbettermenthanmyselfhadwrittenonbreadandwater；hadnotthebigmantoldmeso？orsomethingtothateffect，monthsbefore？
Itwastruetherewasmylodgingtopayfor；butuptothepresenttimeIowednothing，andperhaps，bythetimethatthepeopleofthehouseaskedmeformoney，Ishouldhavewrittenataleoranovel，whichwouldbringmeinmoney；Ihadpaper，pens，andink，and，letmenotforgetthem，Ihadcandlesinmycloset，allpaidfor，tolightmeduringmynightwork。Enough，Iwouldgodoggedlytoworkuponmytaleornovel。
Butwhatwasthetaleornoveltobeabout？Wasittobeataleoffashionablelife，aboutSirHarrySomebody，andtheCountesssomething？ButIknewnothingaboutfashionablepeople，andcaredless；thereforehowshouldIattempttodescribefashionablelife？
Whatshouldthetaleconsistof？Thelifeandadventuresofsomeone。Good-butofwhom？DidnotMr。PetulengromentiononeJemmyAbershaw？Yes。DidhenottellmethatthelifeandadventuresofJemmyAbershawwouldbringinmuchmoneytothewriter？Yes，butI
knewnothingofthatworthy。Iheard，itistrue，fromMr。
Petulengro，thatwhenalivehecommittedrobberiesonthehill，onthesideofwhichMr。Petulengrohadpitchedhistents，andthathisghoststillhauntedthehillatmidnight；butthosewerescantmaterialsoutofwhichtowritetheman’slife。Itisprobableindeed，thatMr。PetulengrowouldbeabletosupplymewithfurthermaterialsifIshouldapplytohim，butIwasinahurry，andcouldnotaffordthetimewhichitwouldbenecessarytospendinpassingtoandfromMr。Petulengro，andconsultinghim。Moreover，mypriderevoltedattheideaofbeingbeholdentoMr。Petulengroforthematerialsofthehistory。No，IwouldnotwritethehistoryofAbershaw。Whosethen-HarrySimms？Alas，thelifeofHarrySimmshadbeenalreadymuchbetterwrittenbyhimselfthanIcouldhopetodoit；and，afterall，HarrySimms，likeJemmyAbershaw，wasmerelyarobber。Both，thoughboldandextraordinarymen，weremerelyhighwaymen。IquestionedwhetherIcouldcomposeatalelikelytoexciteanyparticularinterestoutoftheexploitsofamererobber。Iwantacharacterformyhero，thoughtI，somethinghigherthanamererobber；someonelike-likeColonelB。Bytheway，whyshouldInotwritethelifeandadventuresofColonelB-，ofLondonderryinIreland？