o take my trial. I am anxious to make this public, as
I now remember that I left that sheet of sketches in the court; and who
can tell? Some one may yet 'invest those sketches with an almost
European importance,' and the number of five pounds I shall be called
upon to dole out all round will be something appalling.

[Illustration: SIR F. LOCKWOOD AND MYSELF.]

"_A propos_ of this truly great trial, the _Observer_ remarked, in its
leader upon it, that 'future treatises on the law of libel will, if
properly and picturesquely indexed, be enriched with this entry, "Art
critic, statement held to be a libel upon, see Toes." Indeed, the antics
of the law of libel ought to be written, edited, let me suggest, by Mr.
George Lewis, and illustrated by the genius of Mr. Frank Lockwood. I
will supply a footnote."

Over this _jeu d'esprit_ on my part Sala waxed very wroth, for besides
having to pay L80 costs of his own, he brought upon himself columns of
chaff, of which the following is a fair specimen. "The Prince of
Journalists," wrote a wag of journalists, "is lamenting that he has
jumped out of the Furniss into the fire, for of a surety five pounds
will hardly repay Mr. Sala for the roasting he will receive from his
good-natured friends." Skits showing six toes were plentiful, jokes in
burlesque and on the music-hall stage were introduced as a matter of
course, and private chaff in letters was kept up for some time. One
private letter I wrote du Maurier, "Sala has no sole for humour--you
have made me put my foot in it," and added the Six Toes signature
sketch. In this no doubt du Maurier found inspiration for Trilby.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: THE SEQUEL: I DISTRIBUTE THE PRIZES AT NOTTINGHAM.]

In the witness-box Mr. Sala took up a curious position with regard to
that filched and fatal joke. He said that I told that joke because he
had been invited to distribute the prizes at the Art School at
Nottingham shortly before, and that I had run down and, like the
miscreant who sowed tares in his neighbour's wheat, deliberately made
him look ridiculous. As a matter of fact, I neither knew that Sala had
distributed the prizes, nor that he had ever put in an appearance at
Nottingham. Sala in his evidence said, "I have always been well received
there (Nottingham). The people have always been very kind to me, and
they expressed surprise at the libel." Nottingham people reading this,
assured me it was the very reverse of the facts