Goslings by J.D. Beresford

Grant Lacey, of The Times, listened seriously to Thrale's exposition, and then, in a finely delivered speech which lasted twenty minutes, proved to his own complete satisfaction that Thrale's premises, deductions, and whole argument were thoroughly unsound. Lacey, however, was greatly interested in the condition of Russia, and promised Thrale magnificent terms if he would tour St Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Warsaw -- and then return and contribute a special series of articles. References to the new plague would not be prohibited in the series if Thrale still found any cause for alarm.

In all, Thrale had interviews with the editors of nine important journals; the other six developed on the general lines already indicated -- either he was not taken seriously or was told that the danger was greatly exaggerated. The real causes of his failure were two: -- first, the critical position of the Government; second, the precocious campaign of the Evening Chronicle -- the latter had taken the wind out of the sails of less enterprising journals.