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chance of being heard； he said； with much apparent emotion：
〃Ladies and Gentlemen；I won't keep you one single moment in this
suffocating atmosphere。 I simply wish to say that this is the last
lecture I shall have the honor to deliver in London until I return
from America； four weeks from now。 I only wish to say （here Mr。
Clemens faltered as if too much affected to proceed） I am very
grateful。 I do not wish to appear pathetic； but it is something
magnificent for a stranger to come to the metropolis of the world
and be received so handsomely as I have been。 I simply thank you。〃
The Saturday Review devoted a page； and Once a Week； under the head of
〃Cracking jokes；〃 gave three pages； to praise of the literary and lecture
methods of the new American humorist。 With the promise of speedy return；
he left London； gave the lecture once in Liverpool； and with his party
（October 21st） set sail for home。
In mid…Atlantic he remembered Dr。 Brown； and wrote him：
We have plowed a long way over the sea； and there's twenty…two
hundred miles of restless water between us now； besides the railway
stretch。 And yet you are so present with us； so close to us； that a
span and a whisper would bridge the distance。
So it would seem that of all the many memories of that eventful half…
year； that of Dr。 Brown was the most present； the most tender。
XCII
FURTHER LONDON LECTURE TRIUMPHS
Orion Clemens records that he met 〃Sam and Livy〃 on their arrival from
England； November 2d； and that the president of the Mercantile Library
Association sent up his card 〃four times；〃 in the hope of getting a
chance to propose a lecture engagementan incident which impressed Orion
deeply in its evidence of his brother's towering importance。 Orion
himself was by this time engaged in various projects。 He was inventing a
flying…machine； for one thing； writing a Jules Verne story； reading proof
on a New York daily； and contemplating the lecture field。 This great
blaze of international appreciation which had come to the little boy who
used to set type for him in Hannibal； and wash up the forms and cry over
the dirty proof； made him gasp。
They went to see Booth in Hamlet ＇he says＇； and Booth sent for Sam to
come behind the scenes； and when Sam proposed to add a part to Hamlet；
the part of a bystander who makes humorous modern comment on the
situations in the play； Booth laughed immoderately。
Proposing a sacrilege like that to Booth！ To what heights had this
printer…pilot； miner…brother not attained！ ＇This idea of introducing a
new character in Hamlet was really attempted later by Mark Twain； with
the connivance of Joe Goodman ＇of all men＇； sad to relate。 So far as is
known it is the one stain on Goodman's literary record。＇
Clemens returned immediately to Englandthe following Saturday； in fact
and was back in London lecturing again after barely a month's absence。
He gave the 〃Roughing It〃 address； this time under the title of 〃Roughing
It on the Silver Frontier；〃 and if his audiences were any less
enthusiastic； or his houses less crowded than before； the newspapers of
that day have left no record of it。 It was the height of the season now；
and being free to do so； he threw himself into the whirl of it； and for
two months； beyond doubt； was the most talked…of figure in London。 The
Athenaeum Club made him a visiting member （an honor considered next to
knighthood）； Punch quoted him； societies banqueted him； his apartments；
as before； were besieged by callers。 Afternoons one was likely to find
him in 〃Poets' Corner〃 of the Langham smoking…room； with a group of
London and American authorsReade； Collins； Miller； and the others
frankly rioting in his bold fancies。 Charles Warren Stoddard was in
London at the time； and acted as his secretary。 Stoddard was a gentle
poet； a delightful fellow； and Clemens was very fond of him。 His only
complaint of Stoddard was that he did not laugh enough at his humorous
yarns。 Clemens once said：
〃Dolby and I used to come in after the lecture； or perhaps after being
out to some dinner； and we liked to sit down and talk it over and tell
yarns； and we expected Stoddard to laugh at them； but Stoddard would lie
there on the couch and snore。 Otherwise； as a secretary； he was
perfect。〃
The great Tichborne trial was in progress then； and the spectacle of an
illiterate impostor trying to establish his claim as the rightful heir to
a great estate was highly diverting to Mark Twain。 ＇In a letter of this
period he speaks of having attended one of the Claimant's 〃Evenings。〃＇
He wanted to preserve the evidence as future literary material； and
Stoddard day after day patiently collected the news reports and neatly
pasted them into scrap…books； where they still rest； a complete record of
that now forgotten farce。 The Tichborne trial recalled to Mark Twain the
claimant in the Lampton family； who from time to time wrote him long
letters； urging him to join in the effort to establish his rights to the
earldom of Durham。 This American claimant was a distant cousin； who had
〃somehow gotten hold of； or had fabricated a full set of documents。〃
Colonel Henry Watterson； just quoted （also a Lampton connection）； adds：
During the Tichborne trial Mark and I were in London； and one day he
said to me： 〃I have investigated this Durham business down at the
Herald's office。 There is nothing to it。 The Lamptons passed out
of the earldom of Durham a hundred years ago。 There were never any
estates； the title lapsed； the present earldom is a new creation；
not in the same family at all。 But I'll tell you what： if you'll
put up 500； I'll put up 500 more； we'll bring our chap over here
and set him in as claimant； and； my word for it； Kenealy's fat boy
won't be a marker to him。〃
It was a characteristic Mark Twain project； one of the sort he never
earned out in reality； but loved to follow in fancy； and with the pen
sometimes。 The 〃Rightful Earl of Durham〃 continued to send letters for a
long time after that （some of them still exist）； but he did not establish
his claim。 No one but Mark Twain ever really got anything out of it。
Like the Tennessee land； it furnished material by and by for a book。
Colonel Watterson goes on to say that Clemens was only joking about
having looked up the matter in the peerage； that he hadn't really looked
it up at all； and that the earldom lies still in the Lampton family。
Another of Clemens's friends in London at this time was Prentice Mulford；
of California。 In later years Mulford acquired a wide reputation for his
optimistic and practical psychologies。 Through them he lifted himself
out of the slough of despond； and he sought to extend a helping hand to
others。 His 〃White Cross Library〃 had a wide reading and a wide
influence； perhaps has to this day。 But in 1873 Mulford had not found
the tangibility of thought； the secret of strength； he was only finding
it； maybe； in his frank acknowledgment of shortcoming：
Now； Mark； I am down…very much down at present； you are up…where you
deserve to be。 I can't ask this on the score of any past favors；
for there have been none。 I have not always spoken of you in terms
of extravagant praise； have sometimes criticized you； which was due；
I suppose； in part to an envious spirit。 I am simply human。 Some
people in the same profession say they entertain no jealousy of
those more successful。 I can't。 They are divine； I am not。
It was only that he wished Clemens to speak a word for him to Routledge；
to get him a hearing for his work。 He adds：
I shall be up myself some day； although my line is far apart from
yours。 Whether you can do anything that I ask of you or not； I
shall be happy then； as I would be now； to do you any just and right
service。。。。 Perhaps I have mistaken my vocation。 Certainly； if I
was back with my rocker on the Tuolumne； I'd make it rattle livelier
than ever I did before。 I have occasionally thought of London
Bridge； but the Thames is now so d…d cold and dirty； and besides I
can swim； and any attempt at drowning would； through the mere
instinct of self…preservation； only result in my swimming ashore and
ruining my best clothes； wherefore I should be worse off than ever。
Of course Mark Twain granted the favor Mulford asked； and a great deal
more； no doubt； for that was his way。 Mulford came up； as he had
prophesied； but the sea in due time claimed him； though not in the way he
had contemplated。 Years after he was one day found drifting off the
shores of Long Island in an open boat； dead。
Clemens made a number of notable dinner speeches during this second
London lecture period。 His response to the toast of the 〃Ladies；〃
delivered at the annual dinner of the Scottish Corporation of London； was
the sensational event of the evening。
He was obliged to decline an invitation to the Lord Mayor's dinner；
whereupon his Lordship wrote to urge him to be present at least at the
finale； when the welcome would be 〃none the less hea