I prompted our medical orator with a neat
speech from behind the curtain; and I never heard such applause, from
such a comparatively small audience, before in my life. I felt the
tribute--I felt it deeply. Fourteen years ago I scraped together the
wretched means of existence in this very town by reading the newspaper
(with explanatory comments) to the company at a public-house. And now
here I am at the top of the tree.
It is needless to say that my first proceeding was to bowl out the
music-seller on the spot. He called the next morning, no doubt with
a liberal proposal for extending the engagement beyond Derby and
Nottingham. My niece was described as not well enough to see him; and,
when he asked for me, he was told I was not up. I happened to be at that
moment engaged in putting the case pathetically to our gifted Magdalen.
Her answer was in the highest degree satisfactory. She would permanently
engage herself to nobody--least of all to a man who had taken sordid
advantage of her position and mine. She would be her own mistress, and
share the profits with me, while she wanted money, and while it suited
her to go on. So far so good. But the reason she added next, for her
flattering preference of myself, was less to my taste.
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