every now and then my reason tells me that these
troubles and anxieties of mine are utterly without foundation; that
whatever I write is the legitimate growth of my own mind, and that it is
the height of folly to afflict myself at any chance resemblance between
my own thoughts and those of other writers, such resemblance being
inevitable from the fact of our common human origin. In short--"

"I understand you," said I; "notwithstanding your troubles and anxieties
you find life very tolerable; has your originality ever been called in
question?"

"On the contrary, every one declares that originality constitutes the
most remarkable feature of my writings; the man has some faults, they
say, but want of originality is certainly not one of them. He is quite
different from others; a certain newspaper, it is true, the --- {350} I
think, once insinuated that in a certain work of mine I had taken a hint
or two from the writings of a couple of authors which it mentioned; it
happened, however, that I had never even read one syllable of the
writings of either, and of one of them had never even heard the name; so
much for the discrimination of the ---. By-the-bye, what a rascally
newspaper that is!"

"A very rascally newspaper," said I.

CHAPTER LXVII.

During the greater part of that night my slumbers were disturbed by
strange dreams. Amongst other things, I fancied that I was my host; my
head appeared to be teeming with wild thoughts and imaginations, out of
which I was endeavouring to frame a book. And now the book was finished
and given to the world, and the world shouted; and all eyes were turned
upon me, and I shrunk from the eyes of the world. And, when I got into
retired places, I touched various objects in order to baffle the evil
chance. In short, during the whole night, I was acting over the story
which I had heard before I went to bed.

At about eight o'clock I awoke. The storm had long since passed away,
and the morning was bright and shining; my couch was so soft and
luxurious that I felt loth to quit it, so I lay some time, my eyes
wandering about the magnificent room to which fortune had conducted me in
so singular a manner; at last I heaved a sigh; I was thinking of my own
homeless condition, and imagining where I should find myself on the
following morning. Unwilling, however, to indulge in melancholy
thoughts, I sprang out of bed and proceeded to dress myself, and, whilst
dressing, I felt an