e (which as near as I can recollect was
the 16th of March next year) you will have sole charge of the _Pall
Mall Gazette_.

I was just a little startled and rather awed because, as Mr. Morley was
then in full command and there was no expectation on his part of
abandoning his post, the inference which I immediately drew was that he
was going to die. So firmly was this impressed upon my mind that for two
hours I did not like to speak about it to my wife. We took shelter for a
time from the rain, but afterwards, on going home, I spoke on the
subject which filled me with sadness, not without reluctance, and said
to my wife, "Something has happened to me which has made a great
impression upon my mind. When we were beside St. Catherine's Lighthouse
I got into my head that Mr. Morley was going to die." "Nonsense," she
said, "what made you think that?" "Only this," said I, "that I received
an intimation as clear and unmistakable as that which I had when I was
going to leave Darlington, that I had to look sharp and prepare for
taking the sole charge of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ on March 16th
next. That is all, and I do not see how that is likely to happen unless
Mr. Morley is going to die." "Nonsense," said my wife, "he is not going
to die; he is going to get into Parliament, that is what is going to
happen." "Well," said I, "that may be. Whether he dies or whether he
gets into Parliament, the one thing certain to me is that I shall have
sole charge of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ next year, and I am so
convinced of that that when we return to London I shall make all my
plans on the basis of that certainty." And so I did. I do not hedge and
hesitate at burning my boats.

As soon as I arrived at the _Pall Mall Gazette_ office, I announced
to Mr. Thompson, to Mr. Morley, and to Mr. Milner,[7] who was then on
the staff, that Mr. Morley was going to be in Parliament before March
next year, for I need hardly say that I never mentioned my first
sinister intimation. I told Mr. Morley and the others exactly what had
happened, namely, that I had received notice to be ready to take sole
charge of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ by March 16th next. They shrugged
their shoulders, and Mr. Morley scouted the idea. He said he had almost
given up the idea of entering Parliament, all preceding negotiations had
fallen through, and he had come to the conclusion that he would stick to
the _Pall Mall Gazette_. I said that he might come to what
conclusion he like