Taggart took snuff.

“Do you think I could write one?”

Taggart uplifted his two forefingers as if to tap,—he did not, however.

“It would require time,” said I, with a half sigh.

Taggart tapped his box.

“A great deal of time; I really think that my ballads . . .”

Taggart took snuff.

“If published, would do me credit. I’ll make an effort, and offer them to some other publisher.”

Taggart took a double quantity of snuff.

CHAPTER XLII