human
Evening Pulpit. We may fancy that it was easy work, and that Mr. Alf's historical Mr. Jones was not forced to fatigue himself by the handling of many books of reference. The errors did lie a little near the surface; and the whole scheme of the work, with its pandering to bad tastes by pretended revelations of frequently fabulous crime, was reprobated in Mr. Jones's very best manner. But the poor authoress, though utterly crushed, and reduced to little more than literary pulp for an hour or two, was not destroyed. On the following morning she went to her publishers, and was closeted for half an hour with the senior partner, Mr. Leadham.
gpt
I've got it all in black and white, she said, full of the wrong which had been done her,
human
Pray don't do anything of the kind, Lady Carbury.
gpt
I can prove that I'm right.
human
And they can prove that you're wrong.
gpt
I've got all the facts,--and the figures.
human
Evening Pulpit would surely get the better of any mere author in such a contention.
gpt
Never fight the newspapers, Lady Carbury. Who ever yet got any satisfaction by that kind of thing? It's their business, and you are not used to it.
human
And Mr. Alf is my particular friend! It does seem so hard,
gpt
It won't do us the least harm, Lady Carbury.
human
It'll stop the sale?
gpt
Not much. A book of that sort couldn't hope to go on very long, you know. The 'Breakfast Table' gave it an excellent lift, and came just at the right time. I rather like the notice in the 'Pulpit,' myself.
human
Like it!
gpt
Anything is better than indifference, Lady Carbury. A great many people remember simply that the book has been noticed, but carry away nothing as to the purport of the review. It's a very good advertisement.
human
But to be told that I have got to learn the ABC of history,--after working as I have worked!
gpt
That's a mere form of speech, Lady Carbury.
human
You think the book has done pretty well?
gpt
Pretty well;--just about what we hoped, you know.
human
There'll be something coming to me, Mr. Leadham?