said I,'we have not yet agreed upon terms.''Terms,terms,'said the bookseller;'ahem!well,there is nothing like coming to terms at once.I will print the book,and give you half the profit when the edition is sold.''That will not do,'said I;'I intend shortly to leave London:I must have something at once.''Ah,I see,'said the bookseller,'in distress;frequently the case with authors,especially young ones.Well,I don't care if I purchase it of you,but you must be moderate;the public are very fastidious,and the speculation may prove a losing one after all.
Let me see,will five-hem-'he stopped.I looked the bookseller in the face;there was something peculiar in it.
Suddenly it appeared to me as if the voice of him of the thimble sounded in my ear,'Now is your time,ask enough,never such another chance of establishing yourself;respectable trade,pea and thimble.''Well,'said I at last,'I have no objection to take the offer which you were about to make,though I really think five-and-twenty guineas to be scarcely enough,everything considered.'
'Five-and-twenty guineas!'said the bookseller;'are you-what was I going to say-I never meant to offer half as much-I mean a quarter;I was going to say five guineas-I mean pounds;I will,however,make it up guineas.''That will not do,'said I;'but,as I find we shall not deal,return me my manu,that I may carry it to some one else.'The bookseller looked blank.'Dear me,'
said he,'I should never have supposed that you would have made any objection to such an offer;I am quite sure that you would have been glad to take five pounds for either of the two huge manus of songs and ballads that you brought me on a former occasion.''Well,'said I,'if you will engage to publish either of those two manus,you shall have the present one for five pounds.''God forbid that I should make any such bargain!'said the bookseller;'I would publish neither on any account;but,with respect to this last book,I have really an inclination to print it,both for your sake and mine;suppose we say ten pounds.''No,'
said I,'ten pounds will not do;pray restore me my manu.'
'Stay,'said the bookseller,'my wife is in the next room,I will go and consult her.'Thereupon he went into his back room,where I heard him conversing with his wife in a low tone;in about ten minutes he returned.'Young gentleman,'said he,'perhaps you will take tea with us this evening,when we will talk further over the matter.'
That evening I went and took tea with the bookseller and his wife,both of whom,particularly the latter,overwhelmed me with civility.It was not long before I learned that the work had been already sent to the press,and was intended to stand at the head of a series of entertaining narratives,from which my friends promised themselves considerable profit.The subject of terms was again brought forward.I stood firm to my first demand for a long time;when,however,the bookseller's wife complimented me on my production in the highest terms,and said that she discovered therein the germs of genius,which she made no doubt would some day prove ornamental to my native land,I consented to drop my demand to twenty pounds,stipulating,however,that I should not be troubled with the correction of the work.
Before I departed,I received the twenty pounds,and departed with a light heart to my lodgings.
Reader,amidst the difficulties and dangers of this life,should you ever be tempted to despair,call to mind these latter chapters of the life of Lavengro.There are few positions,however difficult,from which dogged resolution and perseverance may not liberate you.
