represent him as being under great (p. 065)
obligations to his countrymen. In some instances he was certainly correct
in so regarding it. On one occasion after his return from Europe, he
denied the truth of an assertion made in a newspaper, as to the amount
he derived from the sale of each of his novels. "It remains for the
public to decide," said he, "whether it will tolerate or not this
meddling with private interests by any one who can get the command of a
little ink and a few types." In the prefatory address to the publisher
which appeared in the first edition of "The Pioneers," he made the
statement, that the success of "The Spy," should always remain a secret
between themselves. This reticence and dislike of publicity continued
throughout the whole of his career. It extended to everything connected
with his writings. Our knowledge on these points is, therefore, both
scanty and uncertain. The size of the editions has never been given to
the public. The sale of "The Pioneers" on the morning of its publication
has already been noticed; and there are contemporary newspaper
statements to the effect that the first edition of "The Red Rover"
consisted of five thousand copies, and that this was exhausted in a few
days. But it is only from incidental references of this kind, which can
rarely be relied upon absolutely, that we at this late day are able to
gain any specific information whatever.

He was unquestionably helped in the end, however, by what in the
beginning threatened to be a serious if not insuperable obstacle. He was
unable to get any one concerned in the book trade to assume the risk of
bringing out "The Spy." That had to be taken by the author himself. In
the case of this novel, we know positively that Cooper was not only the
owner of the copyright, but of all the edition; that he gave (p. 066)
directions as to the terms on which the work was to be furnished to the
booksellers, while the publishers, Wiley & Halsted, had no direct
interest in it, and received their reward by a commission. It is evident
that under this arrangement his profits on the sale were far larger than
would usually be the case. Whether he followed the same method in any of
his later productions, there seems to be no means of ascertaining. Wiley,
however, until his death, continued to be his publisher. "The Last of
the Mohicans" went into the hands of Carey & Lea of Philadelphia; and
this firm, under various changes of name, con