316 LIFE OP AUDUBON. 



banker, jobber, and lender of money. We found no difficulty 

 in ascertaining the place of business of the great usurer. 

 Business in London is thoroughly matter of fact ; no external 

 pomp indicated the counting-house of the baron; there was 

 nothing to distinguish it from those of men of less enormous 

 capital; and we walked into his private office without any 

 hindrance, and introduced ourselves without any introducer. 



" The Baron was not present, but we were told by a good- 

 looking young gentleman that he would come in in a few 

 minutes; and so he did. Soon a corpulent man appeared, 

 hitching up his trousers, and a face red with the exertion of 

 walking, and without noticing any one present, dropped his fat 

 body into a comfortable chair, as if caring for no one else in this 

 wide world but himself. While the Baron sat, we stood, with 

 our hats held respectfully in our hands. I stepped forward, and 

 with a bow tendered him my credentials. ' Pray, sir,' said the 

 man of golden consequence, ' is this a letter of business, or is it 

 a mere letter of introduction?' This I could not well answter, 

 for I had not read the contents of it, and I was forced to answer 

 rather awkwardly that I could not tell. The banker then 

 opened the letter, read it with the manner of one who was 

 looking only at the temporal side of things, and after reading 

 it, said, ' This is only a letter of introduction, and I expect from 

 its contents that you are the publisher of some book or other 

 and need my subscription.' 



" Had a man the size of a mountain spoken to me in that 

 arrogant style in America, I should have indignantly resented 

 it ; but where I then was it seemed best to swallow and digest 

 it as well as I could. So in reply to the offensive arrogance of 

 this banker, I said I should be honoured by his subscription to 

 the ' Birds of America.' ' Sir,' he said, ' I never sign my name 

 to any subscription list, but you may send in your work and I 

 will pay for a copy of it. Gentlemen, I am busy, I wish you 

 good-morning.' We were busy men, too, and so bowing respect- 

 fully, we retired, pretty well satisfied with the small slice of his 

 opulence which our labour was likely to obtain. 



" A few days afterwards I sent the first volume of my work 

 half bound, and all the numbers besides, then published. On 

 seeing them we were told that he ordered the bearer to take 



