of the Public to believe all they were told (particularly what they were told in the newspapers), and to pay twice its value for everything and they did their duty.
So in this wise, when the Public read in the newspapers how he of the knowing eye was a very great and clever man, they went about saying one to another, "He is a very great and clever man. Who is he?"
And all this while that other person who was quiet and had a small business in a back street, and did not ask after the health of the wives and families of them whose duty it was to write puffs in the newspapers; all this time he had holes in his boots and no jam on his bread. And his head was bald, and he had many lines across the forehead; and his waistcoat was very loose; and his name was Mr. Talent.
"Mr. Talent."
Then the Public began to inquire, saying "Who is he that has the bright and knowing eye, and what is his name?" For, when one would go about speaking of the greatness of a person, it is better that one should know his name; for, if one does not know his name, then one must needs identify him in some other way, such as saying "He who wrote so and so," or, "He that drew such a picture"; the which thing is awkward when one knows nothing of his works, but only knows that he is a great man.
In such wise the Public wished to know his name; for in certain cases, when one of them would say, "He is a great man," another would say, "What has he achieved?" whereat the first must needs say, "I know not; but he is a great man, for the newspaper says so." Now, if the first speaker had but known his name, he might have answered to the question of the second, "Go to, Ignorance! Dost thou not know the works of A?"
So when the Public said, "What is his name?" those who wrote puffs in the newspapers replied with one voice, "His name is Mr. Talent."
And this was a strange thing, that they did not reply, "He is Mr. Affability," or "Mr. Shaker of the Hand"; but they said, "Mr. Talent."
Now when the Public heard this reply they were greatly puzzled; for the name on the door-plate of him who had the poor little business in a back street was "Mr. Talent." So they went to those whose duty it was to write puffs in the newspapers, and said, "Is he the brother of him of the back street?" And those others replied, "We know of no one in a back street. We know of no Mr. Talent except him who is affable and shakes hands frequently, and asks after our families, and drinks with us, and gives us chicken and champagne. There is no other Mr. Talent."
But the moment they had said these things they saw that they had forgotten themselves, and made a slip of the tongue. However, it was all right; for the Public, for all they were puzzled by it, did not understand the thing which had been said, being too foolish.
Now, when Mr. Talent, of the back street, heard of all this, he delayed for some time; and after that wrote a plaintive letter to the editors of the newspapers, saying that he was Mr. Talent, and the other was not. And the editors said to those whose duty was to write the puffs: "Do you know this Mr. Talent, of the back street? Can he really be Mr. Talent?" And then those others replied: "He cannot be Mr. Talent; for the only Mr. Talent we know always dictates to us what we shall say about his works in the puffs which it is our duty to put in the newspapers; and this one
