whose book appeared while Susan Fenimore Cooper was studying in
Paris, was her source for this reference to Gilbert. In fact, Gilbert
was not impoverished, and died of injuries after falling from his
horse}

"Better, Hopkins--doing well. But what have you here? I never see
old papers but I have an inclination to look them over. If a man has
leisure, he may often pick up something amusing among such
rubbish. Don't you ever read the papers that pass through your
hands?"

"No, sir--I 'as no time for that, sir. And then I was never taught to
read writing, and these 'ere papers is all written ones. We puts them
that's written for one trunk, and them that's printed for another, as
you see, sir; one must have a heye to the looks of the work."

"Why yes--you seem to manage the job very well; and I have a
trunk, by the bye, that wants patching up before my boy carries it off
with him; I'll send it round to you; Hopkins. But stay--what's this?"
and the doctor took up a soiled, yellow sheet of paper, from the
heap rejected by the workman; it contained a scrawl which proved to
be the identical letter of the poor poet, the Lumley autograph,
though in what manner it became mingled with that heap of rubbish
has never been satisfactorily ascertained.

"Here's a poor fellow who had a hard fate, Hopkins," said the
benevolent man, thoughtfully. "It is as good as a sermon on charity
to read that letter."

The trunk-maker begged to hear it.