xcellent
correspondent.'

The pale, shrivelled-looking man slowly and deliberately raised his head
from the account-book, and surveyed me for a moment or two; not the
slightest emotion was observable in his countenance. It appeared to me,
however, that I could detect a droll twinkle in his eye: his curiosity,
if he had any, was soon gratified; he made me a kind of bow, pulled out a
snuff-box, took a pinch of snuff, and again bent his head over the page.

'And now, my dear sir,' said the big man, 'pray sit down, and tell me the
cause of your visit. I hope you intend to remain here a day or two.'

'More than that,' said I, 'I am come to take up my abode in London.'

'Glad to hear it; and what have you been about of late? got anything
which will suit me? Sir, I admire your style of writing, and your manner
of thinking; and I am much obliged to my good friend and correspondent
for sending me some of your productions. I inserted them all, and wished
there had been more of them--quite original, sir, quite: took with the
public, especially the essay about the non-existence of anything. I
don't exactly agree with you though; I have my own peculiar ideas about
matter--as you know, of course, from the book I have published.
Nevertheless, a very pretty piece of speculative philosophy--no such
thing as matter--impossible that there should be--_ex nihilo_--what is
the Greek? I have forgot--very pretty indeed; very original.'

'I am afraid, sir, it was very wrong to write such trash, and yet more to
allow it to be published.'

'Trash! not at all; a very pretty piece of speculative philosophy; of
course you were wrong in saying there is no world. The world must exist,
to have the shape of a pear; and that the world is shaped like a pear,
and not like an apple, as the fools of Oxford say, I have satisfactorily
proved in my book. Now, if there were no world, what would become of my
system? But what do you propose to do in London?'

'Here is the letter, sir,' said I, 'of our good friend, which I have not
yet given to you; I believe it will explain to you the circumstances
under which I come.'

He took the letter, and perused it with attention. 'Hem!' said he, with
a somewhat altered manner, 'my friend tells me that you are come up to
London with the view of turning your literary talents to account, and
desires me to assist you in my capacity of publisher in bringing forth
two or three works which you have prepared. My