At the present rate of decrease, deaths by violence will be unheard of in another decade, and a murder story will be laughed at as too improbable to be interesting.

A certain section of busybodies are even crying out for the enforcement of the seventh commandment.

If they succeed authors will have to follow the advice generally given to them by the critics, and retire from business altogether.

I tell you our means of livelihood are being filched from us one by one.

Authors ought to form themselves into a society for the support and encouragement of crime." MacShaughnassy's leading intention in making these remarks was to shock and grieve Brown, and in this object he succeeded.