Then he snuffed the candle, and then quickened his invention
by another brisk turn; and then he opened his desk, and sat down to
write a note.
'Yes,' said he to himself, pausing for a minute, with his pen in his
fingers, ''tis as certain as that I sit here.'
Well, he wrote the note. There was a kind of smile on his face, which
was paler than usual all the while; and he read it over, and threw
himself back in his chair, and then read it over again, and did not like
it, and tore it up.
Then he thought hard for a while, leaning upon his elbow; and took a
couple of great pinches of snuff, and snuffed his candle again, and, as
it were, snuffed his wits, and took up his pen with a little flourish,
and dashed off another, and read it, and liked it, and gave it a little
sidelong nod, as though he said, 'You'll do;' and, indeed, considering
all the time and thought he spent upon it, the composition was no great
wonder, being, after all, no more than this:--
'DEAR SIR,--Will you give me the honour of a meeting at
my house this morning, as you pass through the town? I shall
remain within till noon; and hope for some minutes' private discourse
with you.
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