<p><strong>From the preface: This little book was written before either Jane Eyre or Shirley and yet no indulgence can be solicited for it on the plea of a first attempt. </strong>A first attempt it certainly was not, as the pen which wrote it had been previously worn a good deal in a practice of some years. I had not indeed published anything before I commenced The Professor, but in many a crude effort, destroyed almost as soon as composed, I had got over any such taste as I might once have had for ornamented and redundant composition and come to prefer what was plain and homely. At the same time I had adopted a set of principles on the subject of incident ' such as would be generally approved in theory, but the result of which, when carried out into practice, often procures for an author more surprise than pleasure.</p>