Of this he was dimly conscious, and, on receiving his legacy, he put aside for nearly twelve months the new novel he had begun.

To give his mind a rest he wrote several essays, much maturer than those which had formerly failed to find acceptance, and two of these appeared in magazines.
The money thus earned he spent--at a tailor's.

His friend Carter ventured to suggest this mode of outlay.
His third book sold for fifty pounds.

It was a great improvement on its predecessors, and the reviews were generally favourable.

For the story which followed, 'On Neutral Ground,' he received a hundred pounds.