the letters-2-第79章

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always　were　sure　of　…　so　rich　in　adornment。



Let　me　speak　first　of　the　dedication。　　I　thank　you　for　it　from　the　

heart。　　It　is　beautifully　said；　beautifully　and　kindly　felt；　and　I　

should　be　a　churl　indeed　if　I　were　not　grateful；　and　an　ass　if　I　

were　not　proud。　　I　remember　when　Symonds　dedicated　a　book　to　me；　I　

wrote　and　told　him　of　'the　pang　of　gratified　vanity'　with　which　I　

had　read　it。　　The　pang　was　present　again；　but　how　much　more　sober　

and　autumnal　…　like　your　volume。　　Let　me　tell　you　a　story；　or　

remind　you　of　a　story。　　In　the　year　of　grace　something　or　other；　

anything　between　'76　and　'78　I　mentioned　to　you　in　my　usual　

autobiographical　and　inconsiderate　manner　that　I　was　hard　up。　　You　

said　promptly　that　you　had　a　balance　at　your　banker's；　and　could　

make　it　convenient　to　let　me　have　a　cheque；　and　I　accepted　and　got　

the　money　…　how　much　was　it？　…　twenty　or　perhaps　thirty　pounds？　　I　

know　not　…　but　it　was　a　great　convenience。　　The　same　evening；　or　

the　next　day；　I　fell　in　conversation　（in　my　usual　autobiographical　

and　。　。　。　see　above）　with　a　denizen　of　the　Savile　Club；　name　now　

gone　from　me；　only　his　figure　and　a　dim　three…quarter　view　of　his　

face　remaining。　　To　him　I　mentioned　that　you　had　given　me　a　loan；　

remarking　easily　that　of　course　it　didn't　matter　to　you。　　Whereupon　

he　read　me　a　lecture；　and　told　me　how　it　really　stood　with　you　

financially。　　He　was　pretty　serious；　fearing；　as　I　could　not　help　

perceiving；　that　I　should　take　too　light　a　view　of　the　

responsibility　and　the　service　（I　was　always　thought　too　light　…　

the　irresponsible　jester　…　you　remember。　　O；　QUANTUM　MUTATUS　AB　

ILLO！）　　If　I　remember　rightly；　the　money　was　repaid　before　the　end　

of　the　week　…　or；　to　be　more　exact　and　a　trifle　pedantic；　the　

sennight　…　but　the　service　has　never　been　forgotten；　and　I　send　you　

back　this　piece　of　ancient　history；　CONSULE　PLANCO；　as　a　salute　for　

your　dedication；　and　propose　that　we　should　drink　the　health　of　the　

nameless　one；　who　opened　my　eyes　as　to　the　true　nature　of　what　you　

did　for　me　on　that　occasion。



But　here　comes　my　Amanuensis；　so　we'll　get　on　more　swimmingly　now。　　

You　will　understand　perhaps　that　what　so　particularly　pleased　me　in　

the　new　volume；　what　seems　to　me　to　have　so　personal　and　original　a　

note；　are　the　middle…aged　pieces　in　the　beginning。　　The　whole　of　

them；　I　may　say；　though　I　must　own　an　especial　liking　to　…





'I　yearn　not　for　the　fighting　fate；

That　holds　and　hath　achieved；

I　live　to　watch　and　meditate

And　dream　…　and　be　deceived。'





You　take　the　change　gallantly。　　Not　I；　I　must　confess。　　It　is　all　

very　well　to　talk　of　renunciation；　and　of　course　it　has　to　be　done。　　

But；　for　my　part；　give　me　a　roaring　toothache！　　I　do　like　to　be　

deceived　and　to　dream；　but　I　have　very　little　use　for　either　

watching　or　meditation。　　I　was　not　born　for　age。　　And；　curiously　

enough；　I　seem　to　see　a　contrary　drift　in　my　work　from　that　which　

is　so　remarkable　in　yours。　　You　are　going　on　sedately　travelling　

through　your　ages；　decently　changing　with　the　years　to　the　proper　

tune。　　And　here　am　I；　quite　out　of　my　true　course；　and　with　nothing　

in　my　foolish　elderly　head　but　love…stories。　　This　must　repose　upon　

some　curious　distinction　of　temperaments。　　I　gather　from　a　phrase；　

boldly　autobiographical；　that　you　are　…　well；　not　precisely　growing　

thin。　　Can　that　be　the　difference？



It　is　rather　funny　that　this　matter　should　come　up　just　now；　as　I　

am　at　present　engaged　in　treating　a　severe　case　of　middle　age　in　

one　of　my　stories　…　'The　Justice…Clerk。'　　The　case　is　that　of　a　

woman；　and　I　think　that　I　am　doing　her　justice。　　You　will　be　

interested；　I　believe；　to　see　the　difference　in　our　treatments。　　

SECRETA　VITAE；　comes　nearer　to　the　case　of　my　poor　Kirstie。　　Come　

to　think　of　it；　Gosse；　I　believe　the　main　distinction　is　that　you　

have　a　family　growing　up　around　you；　and　I　am　a　childless；　rather　

bitter；　very　clear…eyed；　blighted　youth。　　I　have；　in　fact；　lost　the　

path　that　makes　it　easy　and　natural　for　you　to　descend　the　hill。　　I　

am　going　at　it　straight。　　And　where　I　have　to　go　down　it　is　a　

precipice。



I　must　not　forget　to　give　you　a　word　of　thanks　for　AN　ENGLISH　

VILLAGE。　　It　reminds　me　strongly　of　Keats；　which　is　enough　to　say；　

and　I　was　particularly　pleased　with　the　petulant　sincerity　of　the　

concluding　sentiment。



Well；　my　dear　Gosse；　here's　wishing　you　all　health　and　prosperity；　

as　well　as　to　the　mistress　and　the　bairns。　　May　you　live　long；　

since　it　seems　as　if　you　would　continue　to　enjoy　life。　　May　you　

write　many　more　books　as　good　as　this　one　…　only　there's　one　thing　

impossible；　you　can　never　write　another　dedication　that　can　give　

the　same　pleasure　to　the　vanished



TUSITALA。









End　of　Volume　2