ItwasnotaltogetherahappytimethatLeverpassedathome.Notonlydidhisnativecriticsbelabourhimmostungrudginglyfor\"TomBurke，\"thatvividandchivalrousromance，buthemadeenemiesofauthors.Heeditedamagazine！Isnotthatenough？Heweariedofwadingthroughwaggon—loadsofthatpureunmitigatedrubbishwhichpeoplearepermittedto\"shoot\"ateditorialdoors.Howmuchdustthereisinittohowfewpearls！HedidnotreturnMSS.punctuallyandpolitely.Theofficecatcouldeditthevolunteeredcontributionsofmanyamagazine，butLeverwasevenmorecasualandcarelessthananexperiencedofficecat.Hegrewcrabbed，andtriedtoquarrelwithMr.Thackerayforthatdelightfulparody\"PhilFogarty，\"nearlyasgoodasagenuinestorybyLever.
Besetbycritics，burlesquedbyhisfriend，hechangedhisstyle（Mr.Fitzpatricktellsus）andbecamemoresober——andnotsoentertaining.HeactuallypublishedacriticismofBeyle，ofStendhal，thatpsychologicalprig，thedarlingofcultureandofM.
PaulBourget.HarryLorrequeronStendhal！——itbeggarsbelief.HenearlyfoughtaduelwiththegentlemanwhoissaidtohavesuggestedMr.PecksnifftoDickens！Yettheycallhisearlynovelsimprobable.NothingcouldbelessplausiblethanacombatbetweenHarryLorrequerandagentlemanwho，evenremotely，resembledthefatherofCherryandMerry.
Leverwentabroadagain，andinFlorenceortheBathsofLucca，inTriesteorSpezia，hepassedtherestofhislife.HesawtheItalianrevolutionof1848，anditaddedtohismelancholy.Thisisplainfromoneofhisnovelswithacurioushistory——\"ConCregan.\"
Hewroteitatthesametimeas\"TheDaltons，\"andhedidnotsignit.Thereviewerspraised\"ConCregan\"attheexpenseofthesignedwork，rejoicingthatLever，as\"TheDaltons\"proved，wasexhausted，andthatanewIrishauthor，theauthorof\"ConCregan，\"wascomingtoeclipsehim.Inshort，heeclipsedhimself，andhedidnotlikeit.Hisrighthandwasjealousofwhathislefthanddid.Itseemsoddthatanyhumanbeing，howeverdullandenvious，failedtodetectLeverintherapidandvivaciousadventuresofhisIrish\"GilBlas，\"