the days of my life-第62章

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eady　way　of　gaining　the　point；　I　might　adopt　it。　My　law　is　all　to　the　wind；　and　indeed　I　never　knew　but　a　taste。
I　thank　you　at　least　for　the　remark。
I　e　rarely　to　town；　and　am　usually　damned　sick　when　I　do。　But　if　I　can；　I’ll　try　to　see　you。　（I　know　a　cousin　of　yours　here　by　the　way。）
What　are　you　about？　I　am　again　at　a　boys’　story；　but　I’ve　been　a　year　at　it　already　and　may　be　longer。
Yours　very　truly；
R。　L。　Stevenson。
P。S。　—　Further　reflection　on　“K。S。M。”　makes　me　think　you　are　one　who　gets　up　steam　slowly。　In　that　case；　when　you　have　your　book　finished；　go　back　and　rewrite　the　beginning　up　to　the　mark。
My　case　is　the　reverse：　I　always　begin　well；　and　often　finish　languidly　or　hurriedly。
P。P。S。　—　How　about　a　deed　of　partnership？
This　“deed　of　partnership”　on　the　face　of　it　would　seem　to　suggest　some　scheme　of　collaboration。　Yet　I　do　not　think　that　this　could　have　been　the　case　—　for　the　following　reason。　I　remember　that　my　late　brother　Bazett；　who　was　afterwards　an　intimate　friend　of　Stevenson’s　in　Samoa；　told　me　that　someone；　I　know　not　who；　had　written　to　him　suggesting　that　he　and　I　should　collaborate　in　a　story；　and　that　he　had　returned　an　angry　and　offensive　answer　to　the　suggestion；　as　I　dare　say　it　was　quite　natural　that　he　should　do。　This　answer；　it　seems；　had　however　weighed　upon　his　mind。　At　any　rate　Bazett　informed　me　that　Stevenson　on　several　occasions　spoke　to　him　with　deep　regret　as　to　his　petulant　reply。　This　is　all　I　know；　or　at　any　rate　all　that　I　can　recollect；　of　the　matter。　Yet　what　else　can　have　been　referred　to　in　the　above　letter　I　am　at　a　loss　to　guess。
Stevenson’s　remark　as　to　his　finishing　languidly　is　interesting；　and；　so　far　as　my　judgment　goes；　his　romantic　work　shows　its　truth。　Thus　to　my　fancy　the　first　part　of　“Treasure　Island”　is　far　and　away　better　than　its　end。　In　an　adventure　story　what　is　called　style；　however　brilliant；　is　not　enough：　the　living　interest　must　be　kept　up　to　the　last　page；　it　should　increase　to　the　very　end。　Of　course　I　know　that　many　of　our　critics；　like　those　of　Alexandria　in　the　first　centuries　of　our　era；　think　and　preach　that　style　is　the　really　important　thing；　much　more　important　than　the　substance　of　the　story。　I　cannot　believe　that　they　are　right。　The　substance　is；　as　it　were；　the　soul　of　the　matter；　the　style　is　its　outward　and　visible　body。　I　prefer　a　creation　with　a　great　soul；　even　if　its　form　is　somewhat　marred；　to　one　with　a　beautifully　finished　form　and　very　little　soul。　Of　course　when　the　two　are　found　together；　a　rare　event；　there　is　perfection。　Also　people　differ　in　their　ideas　of　what　style　really　is。　By　it　some　understand　inverted　sentences；　unusual　words　and　far…fetched　metaphors　or　allusions；　making　up　a　whole　that　is　difficult　to　prehend。　Others　hold　that　the　greater　the　simplicity　of　the　language；　the　better　the　style。　I　am　not　an　authority；　but　my　own　view　is　that　above　all　things　the　written　word　should　be　clear　and　absolutely　readable；　and　that　work　which　does　not　fulfil　these　conditions　can　scarcely　be　expected　to　endure。　It　runs　a　grave　risk　of　passing　with　the　fashion　of　the　hour。　To　take　a　single　instance；　the　Authorised　version　of　the　Old　Testament；　considered　as　literature；　seems　to　me　to　fulfil　all　the　requisites　of　good　writing；　in　fact　to　be　style　in　the　truest　sense。　Yet　the　meaning　remains　perfectly　clear；　and　were　those　books　to　cease　to　be　studied　for　their　religious　contents；　they　would　still　always　be　read　as　a　model　of　plain　and　vigorous　English。
But　to　return　to　Stevenson。　Here　I　will　add　the　last　letter　save　one　that　I　received　from　him；　though　again　I　do　not　know　to　what　it　refers；　since　the　enclosure　of　which　he　speaks　is　missing；　or　at　any　rate　has　not　been　found　at　present。　Like　the　others　it　is　undated；　but　the　allusion　to　“Nada　the　Lily”　shows　that　it　must　have　been　written　about　twenty　years　ago；　at　the　beginning　of　1892。
Valima　Plantation；　Samoan　Islands。
Rider　Haggard；　Esq。
Dear　Haggard；　—　In　cleaning　up　the　hideous　mess　which　accumulates　about　the　man　of　letters　I　came　on　the　enclosed　sheet。　Its　filthiness　will　indicate　its　age。　But　there　is　internal　evidence　which　to　me　dates　it　still　further　back；　and　that　is　the　reference　to　your　brother　Bazett。　I　now　know　him　well　and　regard　him　with　the　most　sincere　and　lively　affection　and　respect。　Indeed　we　are　panions　in　arms　and　have　helped　each　other　back　and　forth　in　some　very　difficult　and　some　very　annoying　affairs。　This　has　given　a　wonderful　jog　to　my　sense　of　intimacy　with　yourself　until　I　have　a　difficulty　in　remembering　that　I　have　never　seen　you。　Two　remarks　and　I　leave　my　filthy　enclosure　to　speak　for　itself。　First；　the　equations　on　the　fly…leaf　were　not　in　the　least　intended　for　you　—　they’re　pieces　of　a　lesson　in　the　Samoan　language　—　and　you　must　kindly　regard　them　as　non…existent。　Second；　“Nada　the　Lily”　is　A1。
Sincerely　yours；
Robert　Louis　Stevenson。
I　only　wish　I　could　find　the　“filthy　enclosure；”　or　at　least　remember　with　what　it　had　to　do。
I　have　one　more　allusion　to　my　brother　besides　the　letter　which　came　to　me　with　“The　Man　Haggard。”　It　is　written　on　a　little　triangular　bit　of　foolscap　pinned　into　the　manuscript　of　“Nada　the　Lily。”　I　suppose　that　Lang　must　have　sent　it　to　me。
“If　you　see　Haggard；　tell　him　we　have　a　great　affection　for　his　brother。　Our　home　rejoices　when　we　see　him　ing；　and　that　Chaka　mourning　for　his　mother　is　great。”
Here　is　this　last　letter　pinned　into　the　first　of　the　two　acpanying；　parchment…bound　volumes；　that　which　is　entitled　“An　Object　of　Pity；　or；　The　Man　Haggard。　A　Romance。　By　Many　petent　Hands。　Imprinted　at　Amsterdam。”　These　volumes　were　sent　to　me　by　Stevenson　in　July　1893。
Tivoli　Hotel；　Apia；　Samoa；
South　Paci。
Dear　Rider　Haggard；　—　I　send　you　herewith　a　couple　of　small　（and；　so　to　speak；　indecent）　volumes　in　which　your　brother　and　I　have　been　indulging　in　the　juvenile　sport　of　shying　bricks　at　each　other。　Honi　soit　qui　mal　y　pense；　say　I。　And　I　hope　you　will　say　the　same。　We　are　a　large　party；　with　nothing　to　do　—　Lady　Jersey；　my　wife；　Captain　Leigh；　your　brother　and　I；　and　Mrs。　Strong；　my　daughter…inlaw　—　and　that　which　we　wrote　was　not　according　to　wisdom。　I　have　heard　some　of　yours　called　in　question　for　steepness；　here　is　your　revenge。
Yours　very　truly；
Robert　Louis　Stevenson。
The　panion　volume　is　entitled　“Objects　of　Pity；　or；　Self　and　pany。　By　a　Gentleman　of　Quality。　Imprinted　at　Amsterdam。”　It　is　corrected　throughout　in　my　brother　Bazett’s　handwriting。　I　should　judge　that　it　went　to　press　without　his　having　the　advantage　of　seeing　proofs。　Pinned　to　the　title…page　is　the　following　letter　to　me　from　Bazett。
Apia；　Samoa：　July　17；　1893。
Dear　Rider；　—　Enclosed　letter　from　R。　L。　Stevn。　speaks　for　itself。　He　says　we　all　had　nothing　to　do。　He　is　wrong　there。　They　wrote　the　“Object　of　Pity”　on　the　days　I　was　at　work　at　n。　I　did　not　write　my　letter　till　3　＇word　illegible＇　after；　when　Stevenson　insisted　on　having　it　printed　and　took　it　to　Sydney　and　had　it　printed。　I　was　riled　at　being　called　“an　object　of　Pity”　rather；　so　set　to　and　gave　them　a　Roland　for　their　Oliver。
We　have　had　a　very　bad　time　here。　I　have　seen　sights　of　“The　French　Revolution”　—　heads　c