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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: '"Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow:
The rest is all but leather and prunello."'
'Oh, but that's not fair - that's Pope! It's not original,
Dudgeon. Understand me,' said I, wringing his breast-button, 'the
first duty of all poetry is to be mine, sir - mine. Inspiration
now swells in my bosom, because - to tell you the plain truth, and
descend a little in style - I am devilish relieved at the turn
things have taken. So, I dare say, are you yourself, Dudgeon, if
you would only allow it. And A PROPOS, let me ask you a home
question. Between friends, have you ever fired that pistol?'
'Why, yes, sir,' he replied. 'Twice - at hedgesparrows.'
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