ed could and would. Answer by return would greatly
oblige, pending which the manuscript then in her hands she retained. Mr.
Brian, understanding he had found his match, grumbled but paid. Whether
he had any suspicion who "Jack Homer" might be, he never confessed; but
he would have played the game, pulled his end of the rope, in either
case. Nor was he allowed to decide the question for himself. Competition
was introduced into the argument. Of purpose a certain proportion of
my work my agent sent elsewhere. "Jack Homer" grew to be a commodity
in demand. For, seated at my rickety table, I laughed as I wrote, the
fourth wall of the dismal room fading before my eyes revealing vistas
beyond.

Still, it was slow work. Humour is not an industrious maid; declines to
be bustled, will work only when she feels inclined--does not often feel
inclined; gives herself a good many unnecessary airs; if worried, packs
up and goes off, Heaven knows where! comes back when she thinks she
will: a somewhat unreliable young person. To my literary labours I found
it necessary to add journalism. I lacked Dan's magnificent assurance.
Fate never befriends the nervous. Had I burst into the editorial
sanctum, the editor most surely would have been out if in, would have
been a man of short ways, would have seen to it that I went out quickly.
But the idea was not to be thought of; Robert Macaire himself in my one
coat would have been diffident, apologetic. I joined the ranks of the
penny-a-liners--to be literally exact, three halfpence a liners. In
company with half a dozen other shabby outsiders--some of them young men
like myself seeking to climb; others, older men who had sunk--I attended
inquests, police courts; flew after fire engines; rejoiced in street
accidents; yearned for murders. Somewhat vulture-like we lived
precariously upon the misfortunes of others. We made occasional half
crowns by providing the public with scandal, occasional crowns by
keeping our information to ourselves.

"I think, gentlemen," would explain our spokesman in a hoarse whisper,
on returning to the table, "I think the corpse's brother-in-law is
anxious that the affair, if possible, should be kept out of the papers."

The closeness and attention with which we would follow that particular
case, the fulness and completeness of our notes, would be quite
remarkable. Our spokesman would rise, drift carelessly away, to return
five minutes later, wiping his mouth.

"Not a v