ne, 'Sir Thopas' from Horne, and printed them as his own,
as I learned only last week. He paid me extravagant court and, seeing
no harm in the mere folly of the man, I was on good terms with him,
till ten months ago he grossly insulted a friend of mine who had
written an article for the Review--(which is as good as _his_, he
being a large proprietor of the delectable property, and influencing
the voices of his co-mates in council)--well, he insulted my friend,
who had written that article at my special solicitation, and did all
he could to avoid paying the price of it--Why?--Because the poor
creature had actually taken the article to the Editor _as one by his
friend Serjeant Talfourd contributed for pure love of him, Powell the
aforesaid_,--cutting, in consequence, no inglorious figure in the eyes
of Printer and Publisher! Now I was away all this time in Italy or he
would never have ventured on such a piece of childish impertinence.
And my friend being a true gentleman, and quite unused to this sort of
'practice,' in the American sense, held his peace and went without his
'honorarium.' But on my return, I enquired, and made him make a
proper application, which Mr. Powell treated with all the insolence in
the world--because, as the event showed, the having to write a cheque
for 'the Author of _the_ Article'--that author's name _not_ being
Talfourd's ... _there_ was certain disgrace! Since then (ten months
ago) I have never seen him--and he accuses _himself_, observe, of
'sucking my plots while I drink his tea'--one as much as the other!
And now why do I tell you this, all of it? Ah,--now you shall hear!
Because, it has often been in my mind to ask you what _you_ know of
this Mr. Powell, or ever knew. For he, (being profoundly versed in
every sort of untruth, as every fresh experience shows me, and the
rest of his acquaintance) he told me long ago, 'he used to correspond
with you, and that he quarrelled with you'--which I supposed to mean
that he began by sending you his books (as with one and everybody) and
that, in return to your note of acknowledgment, he had chosen to write
again, and perhaps, again--is it so? Do not write one word in answer
to me--the name of such a miserable nullity, and husk of a man, ought
not to have a place in your letters--and _that way_ he would get near
to me again; near indeed this time!--So _tell_ me, in a word--or do
not tell me.

How I never say what I sit down to say! How saying the litt