“I will walk a little way with you,” said my friend on my return.
He walked with me to the park gate; neither of us said anything by the way. When we had come upon the road I said, “Farewell now; I will not permit you to give yourself any further trouble on my account. Receive my best thanks for your kindness; before we part, however, I should wish to ask you a question. Do you think you shall ever grow tired of authorship?”
“I have my fears,” said my friend, advancing his hand to one of the iron bars of the gate.
“Don’t touch,” said I, “it is a bad habit. I have but one word to add: should you ever grow tired of authorship follow your first idea of getting into Parliament; you have words enough at command; perhaps you want manner and method; but, in that case, you must apply to a teacher, you must take lessons of a master of elocution.”
“That would never do!” said my host; “I know myself too well to think of applying for assistance to any one. Were I to become a parliamentary orator, I should wish to be an original one, even if not above mediocrity. What pleasure should I take in any speech I might make, however original as to thought, provided the gestures I employed and the very modulation of my voice were not my own? Take lessons, indeed! why, the fellow who taught me, the professor, might be standing in the gallery whilst I spoke; and, at the best parts of my speech, might say to himself, ‘That gesture is mine—that modulation is mine.’ I could not bear the thought of such a thing.”
“Farewell,” said I, “and may you prosper. I have nothing more to say.”
I departed. At the distance of twenty yards I turned round suddenly; my friend was just withdrawing his finger from the bar of the gate.
“He has been touching,” said I, as I proceeded on my way; “I wonder what was the evil chance he wished to baffle.”
CHAPTER LXVIII.
Elastic Step—Disconsolate Party—Not the Season—Mend your Draught—Good Ale—Crotchet—Hammer and Tongs—Schoolmaster—True Eden Life—Flaming Tinman—Twice my Size—Hard at Work—My Poor Wife—Grey Moll—A Bible—Half and Half—What to do—Half Inclined—In No Time—On One Condition—Don’t Stare—Like the Wind.