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and¡¡I¡¡cannot¡¡bear¡¡to¡¡think¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Lady£»¡¡who¡¡has¡¡become¡¡like¡¡a
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to¡¡me¡¡something¡¡as¡¡follows£º

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account£»anyhow¡¡she's¡¡a¡¡nice¡¡young¡¡woman¡¡as¡¡ever¡¡lived£»¡¡and¡¡as
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between¡¡sewing¡¡on¡¡shirts¡¡and¡¡writing¡¡on¡¡stories£»one¡¡way¡¡you¡¡work
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rather¡¡guess¡¡there's¡¡more¡¡headache¡¡in¡¡the¡¡stories¡¡than¡¡there¡¡is¡¡in
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scratch£»¡¡scratch£»¡¡scribble£»¡¡scribble£»¡¡scribble¡£

It¡¡occurred¡¡to¡¡me¡¡that¡¡this¡¡last¡¡suggestion¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Landlady¡¡was¡¡worth
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laboring¡¡classes£»so¡¡called¡¡in¡¡distinction¡¡from¡¡the¡¡idle¡¡people¡¡who
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because¡¡he¡¡does¡¡not¡¡receive¡¡the¡¡same¡¡pay¡¡for¡¡his¡¡services¡£

I¡¡will¡¡not¡¡pretend¡¡that¡¡it¡¡needed¡¡the¡¡Landlady's¡¡sagacious¡¡guess
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possibilities£»¡¡if¡¡not¡¡probabilities£»¡¡in¡¡that¡¡direction¡£¡¡¡¡Our
Scheherezade¡¡kept¡¡on¡¡writing¡¡her¡¡stories¡¡according¡¡to¡¡agreement£»¡¡so
many¡¡pages¡¡for¡¡so¡¡many¡¡dollars£»¡¡but¡¡some¡¡of¡¡her¡¡readers¡¡began¡¡to
complain¡¡that¡¡they¡¡could¡¡not¡¡always¡¡follow¡¡her¡¡quite¡¡so¡¡well¡¡as¡¡in
her¡¡earlier¡¡efforts¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡seemed¡¡as¡¡if¡¡she¡¡must¡¡have¡¡fits¡¡of¡¡absence¡£
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simple¡¡inadvertence¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡last¡¡it¡¡happened¡¡in¡¡one¡¡of¡¡her¡¡stories¡¡that
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equivocally£»¡¡but¡¡mortally£»¡¡definitively¡¡killed£»¡¡done¡¡for£»¡¡and
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over¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡told¡¡this¡¡mishap¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Lady£»¡¡as¡¡something¡¡she¡¡was
dreadfully¡¡ashamed¡¡of¡¡and¡¡could¡¡not¡¡possibly¡¡account¡¡for¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡had
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dinner¡¡to¡¡some¡¡half¡­starved¡¡Bohemian¡¡of¡¡the¡¡critical¡¡press¡£

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but¡¡her¡¡silence¡¡meant¡¡a¡¡good¡¡deal¡£

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trusts¡¡to¡¡still¡¡more¡¡formidable¡¡enginery£»¡¡to¡¡tears¡¡it¡¡may¡¡be£»¡¡a
solvent¡¡more¡¡powerful¡¡than¡¡that¡¡with¡¡which¡¡Hannibal¡¡softened¡¡the
Alpine¡¡rocks£»¡¡or¡¡to¡¡the¡¡heaving¡¡bosom£»¡¡the¡¡sight¡¡of¡¡which¡¡has¡¡subdued
so¡¡many¡¡stout¡¡natures£»¡¡or£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡be£»¡¡to¡¡a¡¡sympathizing£»¡¡quieting
look¡¡which¡¡says¡¡¡¨Peace£»¡¡be¡¡still£¡¡¨¡¡to¡¡the¡¡winds¡¡and¡¡waves¡¡of¡¡the
little¡¡inland¡¡ocean£»¡¡in¡¡a¡¡language¡¡that¡¡means¡¡more¡¡than¡¡speech¡£

While¡¡these¡¡matters¡¡were¡¡going¡¡on¡¡the¡¡Master¡¡and¡¡I¡¡had¡¡many¡¡talks¡¡on
many¡¡subjects¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡had¡¡found¡¡me¡¡a¡¡pretty¡¡good¡¡listener£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡had
learned¡¡that¡¡the¡¡best¡¡way¡¡of¡¡getting¡¡at¡¡what¡¡was¡¡worth¡¡having¡¡from
him¡¡was¡¡to¡¡wind¡¡him¡¡up¡¡with¡¡a¡¡question¡¡and¡¡let¡¡him¡¡run¡¡down¡¡all¡¡of
himself

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