the days of my life-第54章

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he　Empress　would　suggest　a　small　alteration；　which　has　been　inserted　in　one　copy。
It　is　indeed　true　that　the　Emperor　Frederick　while　at　San　Remo　—　during　those　months　of　anxiety；　of　alternate　hopes　and　fears；　which　he　bore　with　a　fortitude；　patience　and　gentleness　never　to　be　forgotten　—　found　great　pleasure　in　reading　Mr。　Rider　Haggard’s　books。　He　as　well　as　the　Empress　especially　admired　“Jess；”　of　which　she　read　out　a　great　part　to　him　aloud。　How　pleasant　were　the　hours　so　spent　—　and　how　bitter　it　is　to　look　back　on　the　last　happiness　of　days　never　to　return　—　can　easily　be　imagined。
Mr。　Rider　Haggard　says　in　his　letter　that　he　leaves　for　Greece　on　the　13th：　so　the　Empress　sends　this　on　to　Athens。　The　Empress　hopes　the　slight　change　she　suggests　in　one　passage　of　the　dedication　—　which　she　thinks　charming　—　will　not　annoy　the　author；　and　she　is　anxiously　looking　forward　to　reading　the　book　itself；　which　will　now　have　a　special　interest　for　her！　The　Empress　regrets　exceedingly　that　Mr。　Haggard’s　brother　was　not　at　Athens　during　her　stay　there；　and　that　she　thus　lost　the　pleasure　of　making　his　acquaintance；　but　hopes　she　may　be　more　fortunate　another　time。
On　January　19；　1890；　the　Empress　sent　me　a　registered　holograph　letter　from　Berlin；　which　is　now　bound　up　with　the　manuscript　of　the　book。　it　runs　as　follows：
The　Empress　Frederick　thanks　Mr。　Rider　Haggard　for　his　letter　of　the　27th　December；　and　greatly　regrets　the　long　delay　in　answering。
Mr。　R。　Haggard　no　doubt　has　heard　of　the　sad　circumstances　which　caused　so　hurried　a　departure　from　Rome。　Since　arriving　here　many　unavoidable　duties　have　pletely　taken　up　the　Empress’s　time。
Mr。　R。　Haggard　will　understand　this　all　the　better　as　he　and　his　family　have　so　recently　sustained　a　sad　loss　of　the　same　kind　—　for　which　the　Empress　takes　this　opportunity　of　offering　her　sincere　condolences。　The　Empress　encloses　the　printed　draft　of　the　dedication　with　a　suggestion　for　a　slight　alteration；　and　begs　Mr。　R。　Haggard　to　accept　her　best　thanks　for　the　copy　of　“Jess”　and　the　collection　of　stories　just　published；　which　she　is　looking　forward　to　reading　when　she　has　a　little　leisure。
With　this　letter　are　two　copies　of　the　dedication；　annotated　in　the　hand　of　the　Empress；　for　it　seems　that　it　was　sent　to　her　twice　before　it　was　finally　settled　as　it　appears　in　the　book。　A　few　years　later；　when　I　was　at　Homburg　for　my　health；　the　Empress　Frederick　asked　me　to　lunch；　and　I　had　a　long　and　interesting　conversation　with　her。　As　I　kept　no　notes；　however；　I　forget　its　details。　She　impressed　me　as　a　singularly　charming　and　able　lady。
“Eric”　mended　itself　very　much　to　Lang。　Here　is　the　first　thing　I　can　find　about　it　in　his　letters。
“Eric”　begins　A1。　I　don’t　know　what　about　the　public；　but　I　love　a　saga　but　even　too　well；　especially　if　it　be　a　bloody　one　delicately　narrated；　or　a　very　affectionate　thing　indeed　but　brutally　set　down；　as　Shakespeare　says。　I　have　only　read　Chapter　I；　but　it’s　the　jockey　for　me。
P。S。　—　I　have　read　four　chapters；　including　Golden　Falls。　I　think　it　is　the　best　thing　you　have　done；　but　of　course　I　am　saga…fain！　I　didn’t　think　anyone　could　do　it。
Next　letter；　dated　Saturday。
I　have　got　Eric　into　Swanhild’s　toils；　and　I　don’t　think　I　have　e　to　a　dull　page　yet。　I　don’t　want　to　flatter；　but　it　literally　surprises　me　that　anyone　should　write　such　a　story　nowadays。　Charles　Kingsley　would　have　spoiled　it　by　maundering　and　philosophising。　I　have　hardly　seen　a　line　which　is　not　in　keeping　yet。　Also　the　plot　is　a　good　natural　plot　and　the　characters；　except　Gudruda；　sympathetic。　I　think　she　might　be　a　little　less　feminine　and　ill…willy。　As　literature　I　really　think　it　is　a　masterpiece　so　far　as　I　have　gone。　I’d　almost　as　soon　have　expected　more　Homer　as　more　saga。　I　don’t　think　much　of　the　boy　who　can　lay　it　down　till　it　is　finished；　women　of　course　can’t　be　expected　to　care　for　it。　Surely　it　should　e　out　before　the　“Bow；”　which　is　such　a　flukey　thing；　whereas；　whatever　reviews　and　people　may　say；　“Eric”　is　full　of　the　best　qualities　of　poetic　＇？　word　doubtful＇　fiction。
Next　letter；　undated。
The　more　I　consider　“Eric；”　the　more　I　think　that　except　“Cleopatra；”　which　you　can’t　keep　back；　I’d　publish　no　novel　before　“Eric。”　It　is　so　very　much　the　best　of　the　lot　in　all　ways。　Probably　you　don’t　agree；　and　the　public　probably　won’t　stop　to　consider；　but　it　is。　I’d　like　to　suggest　one　or　two　remarks　for　a　preface　—　if　any。　The　discovery　of　the　dead　mother　and　the　dialogue　with　the　Carline　struck　me　very　much。　Clearly　Swanhild　needed　no　witchcraft；　and　as　certainly　her　natural　magic　would　have　been　interpreted　so　—　at　the　time　and　much　later。　Perhaps　the　final　bust…up　might　be　less　heavy　in　the　supernatural；　but　more　distinctly　represented　as　the　vision　of　fay　men　—　subjective。　Oddly　enough；　I　found　a　Zulu　parallel　today：　“I　have　made　me　a　mat　of　men　to　lie　on；”　says　the　Zulu　berserk　when　he　had　killed　twenty　and　the　assegais　in　his　body　were　“like　reeds　in　a　marsh。”　He　is　in　Callaway。　。　。　。　It　is　worth　an　infinite　number　of　Cleopatras；　partly　because　you　are　at　home　in　the　North。　I　wouldn’t　let　anyone　peddle　it　about；　or　show　people；　but　stick　to　someone　like　Longman；　if　it　were　mine。
And　again：
I　suppose　Ingram　must　see　it；17；　but　I　wish　it　could　appear　tomorrow　in　a　book。　parisons　are　odious；　and　I　understand　your　preferring　“Cleopatra。”　People　inevitably　prefer　what　gives　them　most　serious　labour。　But　it’s　a　natural　gift　that　really　does　the　trick。　I　bet　a　pound　George　Eliot　preferred　“Romola”　and　“Daniel　Deronda”　to　“Scenes　of　Clerical　Life。”　I　have　a　hideous　conscience　which　knows　that　a　ballad　or　a　leading　article　are　the　best　things　I’ve　done；　though　I’d　prefer　to　prefer　“Helen　of　Troy。”　But　she’s　a　bandbox。
17　From　the　Illustrated　London　News。　—　Ed。
The　last　letter　that　I　can　find　of　Lang’s　which　has　to　do　with　“Eric　Brighteyes”　was　evidently　written　in　answer　to　one　from　myself　in　which　I　must　have　shown　depression　at　certain　criticisms　that　he　made　verbally　or　otherwise　upon　the　book。
Bosh！　It　is　a　rattling　good　story！　But　I　am　trying　to　read　it　as　critically　as　I　can；　and　I　am　rather　fresh　from　saga…reading。　This　makes　me　see　more　clearly　than　other　people　the　immense　difficulty　in　bining　a　saga　with　a　story　of　love；　which；　except　in　the　“Volsunga；”　where　the　man　was　one　of　the　foremost　geniuses　in　the　world；　they　never　attempted。　Other　people　won’t　read　it　like　that；　and　it　is　not　right　that　it　should　be　read　in　that　way。　Done　in　my　way　it　would　be　rather　pedantry　than　literature；　but　I　am　a　born　pedant。　It　is　chock　full　of　things　nobody　else　could　have　done：　indeed　nobody　else　could　have　done　any　of　it。　The　Saevuna　part　is　excellent：　I　only　doubted　whether；　for　effect；　her　cursing　speech　should　not　be　terser。　I　never　read　the　very　end；　as　it　had　affected　me　quite　enough　before　I　came　to　that。　The　scene　on　shipboard　is　not　too　like　the　Wanderer　bit　＇in　“The　World’s　Desire”　—　H。　R。　H。＇；　because　it　is　worked　out　and　credible。　The　cloak；　however；　would　suffice　and　be　all　right；　without　the　replacing　of　the　bonds；　which；　under　the　cloak；　would　be　needless。　The　other　bit；　the　seduction；　is　all　right　in　itself：　but　it　is　one　of　the　passages　which　the　sages　would　have　slurred；　as　not　interesting　to　their　bloodthirsty　public。　I　think　it　may　be　none　the　worse　for　what　you　have　done　to　it。　Don’t　“time　heart”　about　it　because　of　my　pedantries。　It　is　because　it　is　good　that　I　want　it　to　be　best。　Skallagrim　is　always　worth　his　weight　in　wadmal；　whatever　wadmal　may　be。　The　death　of　Groa　fetches　me　less；　I　don’t　know　why。　However；　if　you　once　don’t　think　well　of　it；　in　the　nature　of　man　it　is　certain　to　be　more　excellent；　just　as　one　always　did　well　in　examinations　where　one　despaired。　It　is　a　queer　fact；　but　it　is　so。　The　style　is　capital；　but　I　rather　think　that　of　“Nada”　is　still　better。　I　hope　I　shall　live　to　review　it；　or　rather　that　I　shall　review　it　if　I　live。　For　heaven’s　sake；　don’t　be　disgusted　with　it；　or　me　because　I　look　at　it　through　a　microscope。　If　I　didn’t　my　looking　at　it　would　be　of　little　use。　None　of　my　things　are　worth　the　lens；　and　the　trouble；　so　I　don’t。
Yours　ever；
A。　Lang。
“Eric”　came　out　in　due　course；　and　did　well　enough。　Indeed　as　a　book　it　found；　and　still　continues　to　find；　a　considerable　body　of　readers。　My　recollection　is；　however；　that　it　was　reviewed　simply　as　a　rather　spirited　and　sanguinary　tale。　Lang　was　quite　right。　The　gentlemen　who　dispense　praise　and　blame　to　us　poor　authors　have　not；　for　the　most　part；　made　a　study　of　the　sagas　or　investigated　the　lands　where　these　were　enacted。　I　wonder　if　it　has　ever　occurred　to　the　average　reader　how　much　the　writer　of　a　book　which　he　looks　at　for　an　hour　or　two　and　throws　aside　must　sometimes　need　to　know；　and　what　long　months　or　years　of　preparation　that　knowledge　has　cost　him？　Probably　not。　My　extended　experience　of　the　average　reader　is　that　he　thinks　the　author　produces　these　little　things　in　his　leisure　moments；　say　when　he；　the　reader；　would　be　smoking　his　cigarettes；　and　this　without　the　slightest　effort。
To　return　to　“The　World’s　Desire。”　This　work　also　came　out　in　due　course；　and　was　violently　attacked：　so　I　gather　from　Lang’s　letters；　for　I　have　none　of　the　reviews。　All　that　I　remember　about　them　is　the　effort　of　its　assailants　to　discriminate　between　that　part　of　the　work　which　was　written　by　Lang　and　that　part　which　was　written　by　myself　—　an　effort；　I　may　add；　that　invariably　failed。　However；　all　these　things　have　long　gone　by；　and　the　book　remains　and　—　is　read；　by　some　with　enthusiasm。
Here　is　another　note　from　Lang　from　Scotland；　headed　Ravensheugh；　Selkirk；　Friday。
Stevenson　says　he　is　“thrilled　and　chilled”　by　Meriamun。　He　thinks　much　of　it　“too　steep；”　bars　Od（ysseus）　killing　so　many　enemies　—　exactly　what　Longinus　says　of　Homer　—　and　fears　Meriamun　is　likely　to　play　down　Helen。　He　is　kind　enough　to　say　“the　style　is　all　right；”　and　adds　a　poem　on　Odysseus。　I’ll　send　you　the　letter　presently。
I　suppose　that　Lang　did　send　this　letter；　and　that　I　returned　it　to　him。　I　believe　that　subsequently　he　lost　both　the　letter　and　the　poem。　Luckily；　however；　I　took　the　trouble　to　keep　a　c