small, crabbed, foreign-looking
handwriting.

"Professor Tizzi presents amiable compliments to Mr. Kerby, the artist,
and is desirous of having his portrait done, to be engraved from, and
placed at the beginning of the voluminous work on 'The Vital Principle;
or, Invisible Essence of Life,' which the Professor is now preparing for
the press--and posterity.

"The Professor will give five pounds; and will look upon his face with
satisfaction, as an object perpetuated for public contemplation at a
reasonable rate, if Mr. Kerby will accept the sum just mentioned.

"In regard to the Professor's ability to pay five pounds, as well as
to offer them, if Mr. Kerby should, from ignorance, entertain injurious
doubts, he is requested to apply to the Professor's honorable friend,
Mr. Lanfray, of Rockleigh Place."

But for the reference at the end of this strange note, I should
certainly have considered it as a mere trap set to make a fool of me by
some mischievous friend. As it was, I rather doubted the propriety
of taking any serious notice of Professor Tizzi's offer; and I might
probably have ended by putting the letter in the fire without further
thought about it, but for the arrival by the next post of a note from
Mr. Lanfray, which solved all my doubts, and sent me away at once to
make the acquaintance of the learned discoverer of the Essence of Life.

"Do not be surprised" (Mr. Lanfray wrote) "if you get a strange note
from a very eccentric Italian, one Professor Tizzi, formerly of the
University of Padua. I have known him for some years. Scientific inquiry
is his monomania, and vanity his ruling passion. He has written a book
on the principle of life, which nobody but himself will ever read;
but which he is determined to publish, with his own portrait for
frontispiece. If it is worth your while to accept the little he can
offer you, take it by all means, for he is a character worth knowing.
He was exiled, I should tell you, years ago, for some absurd political
reason, and has lived in England ever since. All the money he inherits
from his father, who was a mail contractor in the north of Italy, goes
in books and experiments; but I think I can answer for his solvency,
at any rate, for the large sum of five pounds. If you are not very much
occupied just now, go and see him. He is sure to amuse you."

Professor Tizzi lived in the northern suburb of London. On approaching
his house, I found it, so far as outward appearanc