From what you say, he must be a brilliant fellow.

But this situation seems rather out of his line." "We all have our ups and downs, admiral.

I've known a pinch or two myself.

We are an improvident lot, we writers, who wander round the globe; rich to-day, poor to-morrow.

But on the other hand, it's something to set down on paper what a king says, the turn of a battle, to hobnob with famous men, explorers, novelists, painters, soldiers, scientists, to say nothing of the meat in the pie and the bottom crust.
I'm going to write a novel some day myself." "Here," said the admiral, with a sweep of the hand, which included the row upon row of books, "come here to do it.