Neither need I say that the fact of my
name being before the town, attached to three publications at the same
time, must prove seriously prejudicial to my reputation. As you are
acquainted with the circumstances under which these copyrights were
disposed of, and as I know I may rely on your kind help, may I beg you
to see Macrone, and to state in the strongest and most emphatic manner
my feeling on this point? I wish him to be reminded of the sums he paid
for those books; of the sale he has had for them; of the extent to which
he has already pushed them; and of the very great profits he must
necessarily have acquired from them. I wish him also to be reminded that
no intention of publishing them in this form was in the remotest manner
hinted to me, by him or on his behalf, when he obtained possession of
the copyright. I then wish you to put it to his feelings of common
honesty and fair dealing whether after this communication he will
persevere in his intention." What else the letter contained need not be
quoted, but it strongly moved me to do my best.

I found Mr. Macrone inaccessible to all arguments of persuasion,
however. That he had bought the book for a small sum at a time when the
smallest was not unimportant to the writer, shortly before his marriage,
and that he had since made very considerable profits by it, in no way
disturbed his position that he had a right to make as much as he could
of what was his, without regard to how it had become so. There was
nothing for it but to change front, and, admitting it might be a less
evil to the unlucky author to repurchase than to let the monthly issue
proceed, to ask what further gain was looked for; but so wide a mouth
was opened at this that I would have no part in the costly process of
filling it. I told Dickens so, and strongly counseled him to keep quiet
for a time.

But the worry and vexation were too great with all the work he had in
hand, and I was hardly surprised next day to receive the letter sent me;
which yet should be prefaced with the remark that suspense of any kind
was at all times intolerable to the writer. The interval between the
accomplishment of anything, and "its first motion," Dickens never could
endure, and he was too ready to make any sacrifice to abridge or end it.
This did not belong to the strong side of his character, and advantage
was frequently taken of the fact. "I sent down just now to know whether
you were at home (two o'clock), as Chap