“Dr. Johnson, I have a great favour to ask of you, sir, and I hope you will see your way to grant it, though I do not deserve any favour from you.” “You deserve no favour, Goldy,” said Johnson, laying his hand on the little man's shoulder, “and therefore, sir, you make a man who grants you one so well satisfied with himself he should regard himself your debtor. Pray, sir, make me your debtor by giving me a chance of granting you a favour.” “You say everything better than any living man, sir,” cried Goldsmith. “How long would it take me to compose so graceful a sentence, do you suppose? You are the man whom I most highly respect, sir, and I am anxious to obtain your permission to dedicate to you the comedy which I have written and Mr. Colman is about to produce.” “Dr. Goldsmith,” said Johnson, “we have been good friends for several years now.” “Long before Mr. Boswell came to town, sir.” “Undoubtedly, sir--long before you became recognised as the most melodious of our poets--the most diverting of our play-writers. I wrote the prologue to your first play, Goldy, and I'll stand sponsor for your second--nay, sir, not only so, but I'll also go to see it, and if it be damned, I'll drink punch with you all night and talk of my tragedy of 'Irene,' which was also damned; there's my hand on it, Dr. Goldsmith.” Goldsmith pressed the great hand with both of his own, and tears were in his eyes and his voice as he said-- “Your generosity overpowers me, sir.” CHAPTER IV. Boswell, who was standing to one side watching---his eyes full of curiosity and his ears strained to catch by chance a word--the little scene that was being enacted in a corner of the room, took good care that Johnson should be in his charge going home. This walk to Johnson's house necessitated a walk back to his own lodgings in Piccadilly; but this was nothing to Boswell, who had every confidence in his own capability to extract from his great patron some account of the secrets which had been exchanged in the corner. For once, however, he found himself unable to effect his object--nay, when he began his operations with his accustomed lightness of touch, Johnson turned upon him, saying-- “Sir, I observe what is your aim, and I take this opportunity to tell you that if you make any further references, direct or indirect, to man, woman or child, to the occurrences of this evening, you will cease to be a friend of mine. I have been humiliated sufficiently by a stranger, who had every right to speak as he did, but I refuse to be humiliated by you, sir.” Boswell expressed himself willing to give the amplest security for his good behaviour. He had great hope of conferring upon his patron a month of inconvenience in making a tour of the west coast of Scotland during the summer.