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524 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
would give him more confidence than he seemed to be inclined to
award to his unfortunate father. Never mind. He should bear
no malice. If Fortune ever smiled on him again, and something
told him she would, he would show Philip that he could forgive ;
although he might not perhaps be able to forget that in his exile,
his solitude, his declining years, his misfortune, his own child had
mistrusted him. This he said was the most cruel blow of all for
his susceptible heart to bear.
This letter of paternal remonstrance was enclosed in one from
the Doctor to his old friend the Little Sister, in which he vaunted
a discovery which he and some other scientific gentlemen were
engaged in perfecting—of a medicine which was to be extraordinarily
efficacious in cases in which Mrs. Brandon herself was
often specially and professionally engaged, and he felt sure that
the sale of this medicine would go far to retrieve his shattered
fortune. He pointed out the complaints in which this medicine
was most efficacious. He would send some of it, and details
regarding its use, to Mrs. Brandon, who might try its efficacy upon
her patients. He was advancing slowly, but steadily, in his medical
profession, he said; though, of course, he had to suffer from the
jealousy of his professional brethren. Never mind. Better times,
he was sure, were in store for all ; when his son should see that a
wretched matter of forty pounds more should not deter him from
paying all just claims upon him. Amen ! We all heartily wished
for the day when Philip's father should be able to settle his little
accounts. Meanwhile, the proprietors of the Gazette of the Upper
Ten Thousand were instructed to write directly to their London
correspondent.
Although Mr. Firmin prided himself, as we have seen, upon his
taste and dexterity as sub-editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, I must
own that he was a very insubordinate officer, with whom his
superiors often had cause to be angry. Certain people were praised
in the Gazette—certain others were attacked. Very dull books
were admired, and very lively works attacked. Some men were
praised for everything they did; some others were satirised, no
matter what their works were. " I find," poor Philip used to say
with a groan, " that in matters of criticism especially there are so
often private reasons for the praise and the blame administered,
that I am glad, for my part, my only duty is to see the paper
through the press. For instance, there is Harrocks, the tragedian,
of Drury Lane : every piece in which he appears is a masterpiece,
and his performance the greatest triumph ever witnessed. Very
good. Harrocks and my excellent employer are good friends, and
dine with each other; and it is natural that Mugford should like