hand to mouth

[IdleRich]

"it looked like i might have to give up the penthouse, but in the nick of time the mysterious countess de X hired me to translate the works of rimbaudelaire"

Isn't that the one called Moon Palace or something? Where he sold his library of books one by one for food... I find something quite interesting about watching the inevitable end approaching in that way... and being far too sensitive and aesthetically minded to actually do anything to prevent it.