Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 4).djvu/541

 palace in the broadest thoroughfare, and set up gilded lamps, and a flag, and nine footmen in golden liveries, and had a trumpeter at the front door.

But when anyone called he was received by him with the knowing eye, and the hands that came to be shaken were shaken by him; and he that had been of the back street was not seen at all, but lived at the very top in an attic, and did the work. So then everyone was satisfied, and began to examine the works of Mr. Talent, and found them very good; and these were the same works which they had examined before, when they had been issued from the shop in the back street; but they did not recognise them.

And he from the back street was satisfied with this arrangement, for he was now able to have jam on his bread, and new boots.

And it came to pass one day, when he of the knowing eye was making a speech at a banquet in his honour, given by those who wrote the puffs and other admirers of ability, that he fall from his pocket an envelope addressed to him by his mother.

Now he had always carefully burned these envelopes which he had received from his mother, so that no man might see them. And the principal organizer of the banquet (who was a most Influential Person, and a Great Judge of Talent and Patron of Genuine Ability, and looked upon as a Most Discerning Critic) happened to pick up the envelope; and behold the name written upon the envelope was "!"

So then the Great Judge of Talent bit his lip and turned pale and nearly choked; and all the others at the table, hastening to see what was upon the envelope which had so upset him, read the writing upon it; and when they saw that the guest of the evening was named "Mr. Push" instead of "Mr. Talent," behold they all bit their lips and turned pale and nearly choked.

But as for (for that, indeed, was his name, for his mother must needs have known), he smiled more affably than ever, and went round the table shaking seven times the hand of each one present, and asking after the health of even their most distant relations.

And the next day, when their heads were cool, all the people who had been at the banquet thought that thing calmly out, the right side up; and they saw, even as one man, that no Mr. Push could possibly be admitted to exist.

For they said, "Have we not admired