-and on into the early "eighties." And the artist himself seems to
have had a strong feeling of increasing power at this time. In January
1880 he approached _Punch_ for a revision of the prices at which he was
then working. By the courtesy of Mr. W. Laurence Bradbury I am able to
quote in part from letters bearing out the inference that it was at this
time that du Maurier entered into consciousness of his own worth:

"_Jan._ 1, 1880.

"DEAR BRADBURY, AGNEW, & Co.,--The time has come when I think I may
fairly ask you to make an increase in my salary.

"The quality of my work has greatly improved of late years and my
popularity has grown in proportion, and these results have been
obtained at great expense of thought and labour, and I find as a
rule that the more time I devote to each production, the more
favour it meets with from the public.

"It is now a good many years (seven or eight I believe) since you
were kind enough at my request to raise the payment of the quarter
page....

"Since that period I have gradually become enabled thro' the
improvement in my health to give much more of my time to my _Punch_
work--all the drawings selected by you for 'English Society at
Home' have been done since then--and whatever other qualities they
may possess, they are very careful and elaborate in most instances,
and without this care and elaboration they would lose most of their
value in the world's eye...."

Then follows details as to the revision of the prices. And then a day
or two later he sends the following letter:

"_Jan._ 4, 1880.

"Mr DEAR BRADBURY,--Many thanks for your kind note. It is really a
painful effort to me to 'ask for more,' and I've been putting it
off from day to day these six months. The pleasure and enthusiasm
with which I have got to do my work for _Punch_ (since I have got
better in health and so forth) are such that I should be content to
go on so for ever, without any rise, if it weren't for my having
such a deuce of a family! but what's a fellow to do!

"You've no idea what it is to go trapesing up and down, hunting for
a subject, _while all the time the hand remains idle. Punch_
requires such a lot of thought, you see--and then when the time
comes for the hand to do its work, you can see what care and time
are taken with the execution....