AtrulysingularmanwasthissameColonelB-，ofLondonderryinIreland；apersonageofmoststrangeandincrediblefeatsanddaring，whohadbeenapartizansoldier，abravo-who，assistedbycertaindiscontentedtroopers，nearlysucceededinstealingthecrownandregaliafromtheTowerofLondon；whoattemptedtohangtheDukeofOrmondatTyburn；andwhosestrange，eventfulcareerdidnotterminateevenwithhislife，hisdeadbody，onthecirculationofanunfoundedreportthathedidnotcometohisdeathbyfairmeans，havingbeenexhumedbythemobofhisnativeplace，wherehehadretiredtodie，andcarriedinthecoffinthroughthestreets。
OfhislifeIhadinsertedanaccountintheNEWGATELIVESAND
TRIALS；itwasbareandmeagre，andwritteninthestiff，awkwardstyleoftheseventeenthcentury；ithad，however，stronglycaptivatedmyimagination，andInowthoughtthatoutofitsomethingbettercouldbemade；that，ifIaddedtotheadventures，andpurifiedthestyle，Imightfashionoutofitaverydecenttaleornovel。Onasudden，however，theproverbofmendingoldgarmentswithnewclothoccurredtome。’Iamafraid，’saidI，’anynewadventureswhichIcaninventwillnotfadgewellwiththeoldtale；onewillbutspoiltheother。’IhadbetterhavenothingtodowithColonelB-，thoughtI，butboldlyandindependentlysitdownandwritethelifeofJosephSell。
ThisJosephSell，dearreader，wasafictitiouspersonagewhohadjustcomeintomyhead。Ihadneverevenheardofthename，butjustatthatmomentithappenedtocomeintomyhead；Iwouldwriteanentirelyfictitiousnarrative，calledtheLIFEANDADVENTURESOF
JOSEPHSELL，thegreattraveller。
Ihadbetterbeginatonce，thoughtI；andremovingthebreadandthejug，whichlatterwasnowempty，Iseizedpenandpaper，andforthwithessayedtowritethelifeofJosephSell，butsoondiscoveredthatitismucheasiertoresolveuponathingthantoachieveit，oreventocommenceit；forthelifeofmeIdidnotknowhowtobegin，and，aftertryinginvaintowritealine，I
thoughtitwouldbeaswelltogotobed，anddefermyprojectedundertakingtillthemorrow。
SoIwenttobed，butnottosleep。DuringthegreaterpartofthenightIlayawake，musingupontheworkwhichIhaddeterminedtoexecute。Foralongtimemybrainwasdryandunproductive；I
couldformnoplanwhichappearedfeasible。AtlengthIfeltwithinmybrainakindlyglow；itwasthecommencementofinspiration；inafewminutesIhadformedmyplan；Ithenbegantoimaginethescenesandtheincidents。Scenesandincidentsflittedbeforemymind’seyesoplentifully，thatIknewnothowtodisposeofthem；Iwasinaregularembarrassment。AtlengthIgotoutofthedifficultyintheeasiestmannerimaginable，namely，byconsigningtothedepthsofoblivionallthefeeblerandlessstimulantscenesandincidents，andretainingthebetterandmoreimpressiveones。BeforemorningIhadsketchedthewholeworkonthetabletsofmymind，andthenresignedmyselftosleepinthepleasingconvictionthatthemostdifficultpartofmyundertakingwasachieved。
CHAPTERLVI
Considerablysobered-Powerofwriting-Thetempter-Hungrytalent-Workconcluded。
RATHERlateinthemorningIawoke；forafewminutesIlaystill，perfectlystill；myimaginationwasconsiderablysobered；thescenesandsituationswhichhadpleasedmesomuchovernightappearedtomeinafarlesscaptivatingguisethatmorning。I
feltlanguidandalmosthopeless-thethought，however，ofmysituationsoonrousedme-Imustmakeanefforttoimprovethepostureofmyaffairs；therewasnotimetobelost；soIsprangoutofbed，breakfastedonbreadandwater，andthensatdowndoggedlytowritethelifeofJosephSell。
Itwasagreatthingtohaveformedmyplan，andtohavearrangedthescenesinmyhead，asIhaddoneontheprecedingnight。Thechiefthingrequisiteatpresentwasthemeremechanicalactofcommittingthemtopaper。ThisIdidnotfindatfirstsoeasyasIcouldwish-Iwantedmechanicalskill；butIpersevered，andbeforeeveningIhadwrittentenpages。Ipartookofsomebreadandwater；andbeforeIwenttobedthatnight，IhadcompletedfifteenpagesofmylifeofJosephSell。
ThenextdayIresumedmytask-Ifoundmypowerofwritingconsiderablyincreased；mypenhurriedrapidlyoverthepaper-mybrainwasinawonderfullyteemingstate；manyscenesandvisionswhichIhadnotthoughtofbeforewereevolved，and，asfastasevolved，writtendown；theyseemedtobemorepattomypurpose，andmorenaturaltomyhistory，thanmanyotherswhichIhadimaginedbefore，andwhichImadenowgiveplacetothesenewercreations：byaboutmidnightIhadaddedthirtyfreshpagestomyLIFEANDADVENTURESOFJOSEPHSELL。
Thethirddayarose-itwasdarkanddrearyoutofdoors，andI
passeditdrearilyenoughwithin；mybrainappearedtohavelostmuchofitsformerglow，andmypenmuchofitspower；I，however，toiledon，butatmidnighthadonlyaddedsevenpagestomyhistoryofJosephSell。
Onthefourthdaythesunshonebrightly-Iarose，and，havingbreakfastedasusual，Ifelltowork。Mybrainwasthisdaywonderfullyprolific，andmypenneverbeforeorsinceglidedsorapidlyoverthepaper；towardsnightIbegantofeelstrangelyaboutthebackpartofmyhead，andmywholesystemwasextraordinarilyaffected。Ilikewiseoccasionallysawdouble-atempternowseemedtobeatworkwithinme。
’Youhadbetterleaveoffnowforashortspace，’saidthetempter，’andgooutanddrinkapintofbeer；youhavestilloneshillingleft-ifyougoonatthisrate，youwillgomad-gooutandspendsixpence，youcanaffordit，morethanhalfyourworkisdone。’Iwasabouttoobeythesuggestionofthetempter，whentheideastruckmethat，ifIdidnotcompletetheworkwhilstthefitwasonme，Ishouldnevercompleteit；soIheldon。IamalmostafraidtostatehowmanypagesIwrotethatdayofthelifeofJosephSell。
FromthistimeIproceededinasomewhatmoreleisurelymanner；
but，asIdrewnearerandnearertothecompletionofmytask，dreadfulfearsanddespondenciescameoverme-Itwillbetoolate，thoughtI；bythetimeIhavefinishedthework，thebooksellerwillhavebeensuppliedwithataleoranovel。Isitprobablethat，inatownlikethis，wheretalentissoabundant-
hungrytalenttoo-abooksellercanadvertiseforataleoranovel，withoutbeingsuppliedwithhalfadozenintwenty-fourhours？Imayaswellflingdownmypen-Iamwritingtonopurpose。Andthesethoughtscameovermymindsooften，thatatlast，inutterdespair，Iflungdownthepen。Whereuponthetempterwithinmesaid-’And，nowyouhaveflungdownthepen，youmayaswellflingyourselfoutofthewindow；whatremainsforyoutodo？’Why，totakeitupagain，thoughtItomyself，forIdidnotlikethelattersuggestionatall-andthenforthwithI
resumedthepen，andwrotewithgreatervigourthanbefore，fromaboutsixo’clockintheeveninguntilIcouldhardlysee，whenI
restedforawhile，whenthetempterwithinmeagainsaid，orappearedtosay-’Allyouhavebeenwritingisstuff，itwillneverdo-adrug-ameredrug’；andmethoughttheselastwordswereutteredinthegrufftonesofthebigpublisher。’Athingmerelytobesneezedat，’avoicelikethatofTaggartadded；andthenIseemedtohearasternutation，-asIprobablydid，for，recoveringfromakindofswoon，Ifoundmyselfshiveringwithcold。ThenextdayIbroughtmyworktoaconclusion。
Butthetaskofrevisionstillremained；foranhourortwoI
shrankfromit，andremainedgazingstupidlyatthepileofpaperwhichIhadwrittenover。Iwasallbutexhausted，andIdreaded，oninspectingthesheets，tofindthemfullofabsurditieswhichI
hadpaidnoregardtointhefurorofcomposition。Butthetask，howevertryingtomynerves，mustbegotover；atlast，inakindofdesperation，Ientereduponit。Itwasfarfromaneasyone；
therewere，however，fewererrorsandabsurditiesthanIhadanticipated。Abouttwelveo’clockatnightIhadgotoverthetaskofrevision。’To-morrowforthebookseller，’saidI，asmyheadsankonthepillow。’Ohme!’
CHAPTERLVII
Nervouslook-Thebookseller’swife-Thelaststake-Terms-Godforbid!-Willyoucometotea？-Alightheart。
ONarrivingatthebookseller’sshop，Icastanervouslookatthewindow，forthepurposeofobservingwhetherthepaperhadbeenremovedornot。Tomygreatdelightthepaperwasinitsplace；
withabeatingheartIentered，therewasnobodyintheshop；asI
stoodatthecounter，however，deliberatingwhetherornotIshouldcallout，thedoorofwhatseemedtobeaback-parlouropened，andoutcameawell-dressedlady-likefemale，ofaboutthirty，withagood-lookingandintelligentcountenance。’Whatisyourbusiness，youngman？’saidshetome，afterIhadmadeherapolitebow。’I
wishtospeaktothegentlemanofthehouse，’saidI。’Myhusbandisnotwithinatpresent，’shereplied；’whatisyourbusiness？’
’Ihavemerelybroughtsomethingtoshowhim，’saidI，’butIwillcallagain。’’Ifyouaretheyounggentlemanwhohasbeenherebefore，’saidthelady，’withpoemsandballads，as，indeed，Iknowyouare，’sheadded，smiling，’forIhaveseenyouthroughtheglassdoor，Iamafraiditwillbeuseless；thatis，’sheaddedwithanothersmile，’ifyoubringusnothingelse。’’Ihavenotbroughtyoupoemsandballadsnow，’saidI，’butsomethingwidelydifferent；Isawyouradvertisementforataleoranovel，andhavewrittensomethingwhichIthinkwillsuit；andhereitis，’I
added，showingtherollofpaperwhichIheldinmyhand。’Well，’
saidthebookseller’swife，’youmayleaveit，thoughIcannotpromiseyoumuchchanceofitsbeingaccepted。Myhusbandhasalreadyhadseveralofferedtohim；however，youmayleaveit；giveitme。Areyouafraidtointrustittome？’shedemandedsomewhathastily，observingthatIhesitated。’Excuseme，’saidI，’butitisallIhavetodependuponintheworld；Iamchieflyapprehensivethatitwillnotberead。’’OnthatpointIcanreassureyou，’saidthegoodlady，smiling，andtherewasnowsomethingsweetinhersmile。’Igiveyoumywordthatitshallberead；comeagainto-morrowmorningateleven，when，ifnotapproved，itshallbereturnedtoyou。’