the days of my life-第57章

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r　great　testimony　to　the　excellency　of　the　sherd；　which　now　reposes　in　a　cupboard　upstairs。15
15　It　is　now　in　Norwich　Museum　with　the　original　MSS。　of　many　of　Sir　Rider’s　tales。　—　Ed。
The　title　“She；”　if　I　remember　aright；　was　taken　from　a　certain　rag　doll；　so　named；　which　a　nurse　at　Bradenham　used　to　bring　out　of　some　dark　recess　in　order　to　terrify　those　of　my　brothers　and　sisters　who　were　in　her　charge。
“She”　proved　a　great　and　immediate　success；　and　I　received　many　letters；　of　　Sir　Walter　Besant；　and　one　from　Mr。　（now　Sir　Edmund）　Gosse。
12　Gayton　Crescent；　Hampstead：
January　2；　1887。
My　dear　Haggard；　—　While　I　am　under　the　spell　of　“Ayesha；”　which　I　have　only　just　finished；　I　must　write　to　congratulate　you　upon　a　work　which　most　certainly　puts　you　at　the　head　—　a　long　away　ahead
—　of　all　contemporary　imaginative　writers。　If　fiction　is　best　cultivated　in　the　field　of　pure　invention　then　you　are　certainly　the　first　of　modern　novelists。　“Solomon’s　Mines”　is　left　far　behind。　It　is　not　only　the　central　conception　that　is　so　splendid　in　its　audacity；　but　it　is　your　logical　and　pitiless　working　out　of　the　whole　thing　in　its　inevitable　details　that　strikes　me　with　astonishment。
I　do　not　know　what　the　critics　will　say　about　it。　Probably　they　will　not　read　more　than　they　can　help　and　then　let　you　off　with　a　few　general　expressions。　If　the　critic　is　a　woman　she　will　put　down　this　book　with　the　remark　that　it　is　impossible　—　almost　all　women　have　this　feeling　towards　the　marvellous。
Whatever　else　you　do；　you　will　have　“She”　always　behind　you　for　purposes　of　odious　parison。　And　whatever　critics　say　the　book　is　bound　to　be　a　magnificent　success。　Also　it　will　produce　a　crop　of　imitators。　And　all　the　little　conventional　story…tellers　will　be　jogged　out　of　their　grooves　—　until　they　find　new　ones　。　。　。　。
Yours　very　sincerely；
Walter　Besant。
Certainly　Besant　was　quite　right　when　he　said　that　I　should　always　have　“She”　behind　me　“for　purposes　of　odious　parison。”　I　always　have。　Quite　a　large　proportion　of　my　critics　during　many　years　have　mentioned　in　the　course　of　their　reviews　of　various　works　from　my　pen　that　the　one　under　consideration　is　not　another　“She；”　or　words　to　that　effect。　As　though　a　man’s　brain　could　harbour　a　host　of　“Shes”！　Such　literary　polygamy　is　not　possible。　Only　one　love　of　this　kind　is　given　to　him。
The　second　letter　that　I　　a　friend　who　I　am　glad　to　say　still　lives；　Mr。　Edmund　Gosse；　the　distinguished　author　and　man　of　letters。16
16　Now　Sir　Edmund　Gosse；　C。B。
29　Delamere　Terrace：　January　8；　1887。
My　dear　Mr。　Rider　Haggard；　—　I　feel　constrained　to　write　again　to　you　about　“She”　before　the　impression　the　book　has　made　upon　my　mind　in　any　degree　wears　off。　In　construction　I　think　you　have　been　successful　to　a　very　marvellous　degree。　The　quality　of　the　invention　increases　as　you　go　on；　and　the　latest　chapters　are　the　best。　Indeed　it　does　not　appear　to　me　that　I　have　ever　been　thrilled　and　terrified　by　any　literature　as　I　have　by　pp。　271…306　of　“She。”　It　is　simply　unsurpassable。
All　through　the　book　there　are　points　which　I　have　noted　for　the　highest　praise；　the　three　white　fingers　on　Ustane’s　hair；　the　dream　about　the　skeletons；　the　meeting　of　the　Living　and　the　Dead；　the　Statue　of　Truth　—　these　are　only　a　few　of　the　really　marvellous　things　that　the　book　contains。　I　was　a　great　admirer　and；　as　you　know；　a　warm　weler　of　“King　Solomon’s　Mines；”　but　I　confess　that　exceedingly　picturesque　and　ingenious　book　did　not　prepare　me　for　“She”；　and　I　do　not　know　what　to　say；　of　hope　or　fear；　about　any　future　book　of　adventure　of　yours。　I　don’t　know　what　is　to　be　imagined　beyond　the　death　of　Ayesha。
Accept　again　my　thanks　for　the　gift　of　your　book；　which　I　put　among　my　treasures；　and　now　the　expression　of　my　sincere　and　cordial　admiration。
Yours　most　truly；
Edmund　Gosse。
P。S。　—　May　I　say；　without　impertinence；　I　think　the　style　strikes　me　as　a　vast　improvement　upon　that　of　“K。S。M。”？
To　turn　to　something　humorous　—　I　find　the　following　in　the　handwriting　of　the　late　Rev。　W。　J。　Loftie；　headed　“SHE”　in　large　letters。
Are　you　acquainted　with　the　story　of　the　lady　who　wrote　poetry？　She　had　begun　an　epic　—
“Man　was　made　innocent　and　good；　but　he”　—
when　a　visitor　called。　She　left　the　paper　on　the　table：　the　visitor　came　in；　waited　a　little　and　departed。　When　she　returned　she　found　the　couplet　pleted：
“Man　was　made　innocent　and　good；　but　he　—
Would　doubtless　have　continued　so　—　but　SHE！”
Well；　“She”　came　out　and　was　a　great　success。　On　March　15th　Charles　Longman　wrote　to　me　in　Egypt：
I　am　glad　to　tell　you　that　“She”　keeps　on　selling　capitally。　We　have　printed　25；000　already；　and　have　ordered　another　5000；　and　I　do　not　think　we　shall　have　many　left　when　the　printers　deliver　them。　。　。　。　Last　week　we　sold　over　1000　copies！
This　was　a　large　number　as　books　sold　in　those　days；　when　people　were　not　accustomed　to　buying　novels　in　one　volume；　having　been　in　the　habit　of　borrowing　them　from　the　library　in　three。　Moreover；　from　that　day　to　this　the　sale　of　“She”　has　never　ceased；　whilst　in　America　it　was　pirated　by　the　hundred　thousand。
All　the　reviews　of　it　were　not　good；　indeed　some　of　them　attacked　it　strongly。　Others；　were　enthusiastic。　The　Times　（a　review　in　The　Times　then；　before　the　days　of　Literary　Supplements；　if　good；　was　very　valuable）　spoke　extremely　well　of　it。　The　Times　reviewer；　however；　criticises　the　Greek　upon　the　sherd。　Had　he　known　that　it　was　the　work　of　Dr。　Holden；　one　of　the　best　Greek　scholars　of　the　day；　he　might　have　preferred　to　leave　it　unquestioned。　Here　is　the　doctor’s　letter　on　the　subject；　written　from　the　Athenaeum　in　March　1886。
Dear　Haggard；　—　Your　task　is　not　quite　so　big　as　one　of　the　labours　of　Hercules；　but　by　no　means　easy　without　further　data。　Do　you　want　the　Greek　to　be　such　as　to　deceive　the　learned　world　into　thinking　that　it　is　no　forgery；　but　a　genuine　bit　of　antiquity？　If　so；　the　style　will　have　to　be　taken　into　account：　it　won’t　do　to　imitate　Herodotus；　though　it　is　just　the　bit　suitable　for　his　style；　because　of　the　date　B。C。　200。
Anyhow；　I　am　just　going　down　to　Harrow　to　examine　the　Sixth　Form　for　Scholarships；　and　shall　be　fully　occupied　there　for　a　fortnight。　I　hope　therefore　you　are　not　in　any　particular　hurry：　if　so；　I　must　return　you　your　MS。；　which　I　cannot　do　justice　to　without　some　further　consideration　of　the　subject。
Yours　sincerely；
H。　A。　Holden。
That　my　old　master　did　consider　it　very　thoroughly　I　know　for　a　fact。　I　remember　his　telling　me　that　he　would　have　liked　to　be　able　to　give　six　months　to　study　before　he　ventured　on　this　particular　piece　of　Greek。　I　said　that　with　all　his　great　learning　this　was　surely　unnecessary。
“My　dear　boy；”　he　answered；　“I　have　been　soaking　myself　in　the　classics　for　over　forty　years；　and　I　am　just　beginning　to　learn　how　little　I　know　about　them！”
In　the　same　way　the　black…letter；　mediaeval　Latin　inscription　and　the　old　English　translation　thereof；　etc。；　were　the　work　of　my　late　friend；　Dr。　Raven；　who　was　a　very　great　authority　on　monkish　Latin　and　mediaeval　English。
Twenty　years　later；　the　time　that　I　had　always　meant　to　elapse；　I　wrote　a　sequel　under　the　title　of　“Ayesha；　or　The　Return　of　She。”　Of　course；　although　successful　in　a　way；　it　was　more　or　less　pooh…poohed　and　neglected　on　the　principle　that　sequels　must　always　be　of　no　worth。
Of　the　scores　of　letters　which　I　received　about　“She”　from　correspondents　personally　unknown　to　me；　the　following　is　perhaps　one　of　the　most　curious。　It　is　written　from　the　Electric…Technical　Factory　of　Messrs。　Ganz　and　Co。；　Budapest。
Dear　Sir；　—　In　explanation　of　the　following　lines　please　to　learn　that　during　the　course　of　the　last　few　weeks；　we；　whose　signatures　you　will　find　adjoined；　have　had　the　pleasure　of　reading　your　celebrated　novel；　“She。”
Despite　our　various　tastes；　characters　and　nationalities　we　have；　one　and　all；　taken　a　most　lively　interest　in　your　story。
It　appears　that　each　of　us　found　in　it　a　something　which　appealed　to　his　sympathies；　to　one　the　ethnographical　and　topographical　descriptions　may　have　given　satisfaction；　to　another　the　frequently　occurring　remembrances　of　athletic　sports；　in　a　third；