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out； it's one I would be sweir to baulk you of。 It seems； Mr。
McIlvaine； which I take to be your name； you are in the household
of a gentleman of the name of Coupling： for whom my friend is very
much engaged。 The distances being very uncommodious； I think it
will be maybe better if we leave it to these two to settle all
that's necessary to honour。 I would have you to take heed it's a
very unusual condescension on my part； that bear a King's name； and
for the matter of that I think shame to be mingled with a person of
the name of Coupling； which is doubtless a very good house but one
I never heard tell of； any more than Stevenson。 But your purpose
being laudable； I would be sorry （as the word goes） to cut off my
nose to spite my face。 … I am； Sir； your humble servant；
A。 STEWART；
CHEVALIER DE ST。 LOUIS。
TO MR。 M'ILVAINE；
GENTLEMAN PRIVATE IN A FOOT REGIMENT；
UNDER COVER TO MR。 COUPLING。
He has read me some of your Barrack Room Ballants； which are not of
so noble a strain as some of mine in the Gaelic； but I could set
some of them to the pipes if this rencounter goes as it's to be
desired。 Let's first； as I understand you to move； do each other
this rational courtesys； and if either will survive； we may grow
better acquaint。 For your tastes for what's martial and for poetry
agree with mine。
A。 S。
Letter： TO MARCEL SCHWOB
SYDNEY； JANUARY 19th； 1891。
MY DEAR SIR； … SAPRISTI； COMME VOUS Y ALLEZ！ Richard III。 and
Dumas； with all my heart； but not Hamlet。 Hamlet is great
literature； Richard III。 a big； black； gross； sprawling melodrama；
writ with infinite spirit but with no refinement or philosophy by a
man who had the world； himself； mankind； and his trade still to
learn。 I prefer the Vicomte de Bragelonne to Richard III。； it is
better done of its kind： I simply do not mention the Vicomte in
the same part of the building with Hamlet； or Lear； or Othello； or
any of those masterpieces that Shakespeare survived to give us。
Also； COMME VOUS Y ALLEZ in my commendation！ I fear my SOLIDE
EDUCATION CLASSIQUE had best be described； like Shakespeare's； as
'little Latin and no Greek；' and I was educated； let me inform you；
for an engineer。 I shall tell my bookseller to send you a copy of
MEMORIES AND PORTRAITS； where you will see something of my descent
and education； as it was； and hear me at length on my dear Vicomte。
I give you permission gladly to take your choice out of my works；
and translate what you shall prefer； too much honoured that so
clever a young man should think it worth the pains。 My own choice
would lie between KIDNAPPED and the MASTER OF BALLANTRAE。 Should
you choose the latter； pray do not let Mrs。 Henry thrust the sword
up to the hilt in the frozen ground … one of my inconceivable
blunders； an exaggeration to stagger Hugo。 Say 'she sought to
thrust it in the ground。' In both these works you should be
prepared for Scotticisms used deliberately。
I fear my stepson will not have found time to get to Paris； he was
overwhelmed with occupation； and is already on his voyage back。 We
live here in a beautiful land； amid a beautiful and interesting
people。 The life is still very hard： my wife and I live in a two…
roomed cottage； about three miles and six hundred and fifty feet
above the sea； we have had to make the road to it； our supplies are
very imperfect； in the wild weather of this （the hurricane） season
we have much discomfort： one night the wind blew in our house so
outrageously that we must sit in the dark； and as the sound of the
rain on the roof made speech inaudible； you may imagine we found
the evening long。 All these things； however； are pleasant to me。
You say L'ARTISTE INCONSCIENT set off to travel： you do not divide
me right。 0。6 of me is artist； 0。4； adventurer。 First； I suppose；
come letters； then adventure； and since I have indulged the second
part； I think the formula begins to change： 0。55 of an artist；
0。45 of the adventurer were nearer true。 And if it had not been
for my small strength； I might have been a different man in all
things；
Whatever you do； do not neglect to send me what you publish on
Villon： I look forward to that with lively interest。 I have no
photograph at hand； but I will send one when I can。 It would be
kind if you would do the like； for I do not see much chance of our
meeting in the flesh： and a name； and a handwriting； and an
address； and even a style？ I know about as much of Tacitus； and
more of Horace； it is not enough between contemporaries； such as we
still are。 I have just remembered another of my books； which I re…
read the other day； and thought in places good … PRINCE OTTO。 It
is not as good as either of the others； but it has one
recommendation … it has female parts； so it might perhaps please
better in France。
I will ask Chatto to send you； then … PRINCE OTTO； MEMORIES AND
PORTRAITS； UNDERWOODS； and BALLADS； none of which you seem to have
seen。 They will be too late for the New Year： let them be an
Easter present。
You must translate me soon； you will soon have better to do than to
transverse the work of others。 … Yours very truly；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON；
With the worst pen in the South Pacific。
Letter： TO CHARLES BAXTER
SS。 'LUBECK；' AT SEA ＇ON THE RETURN VOYAGE FROM SYDNEY； MARCH
1891＇。
MY DEAR CHARLES； … Perhaps in my old days I do grow irascible； 'the
old man virulent' has long been my pet name for myself。 Well； the
temper is at least all gone now； time is good at lowering these
distemperatures； far better is a sharp sickness； and I am just （and
scarce） afoot again after a smoking hot little malady at Sydney。
And the temper being gone； I still think the same。 。 。 。 We have
not our parents for ever； we are never very good to them； when they
go and we have lost our front…file man； we begin to feel all our
neglects mighty sensibly。 I propose a proposal。 My mother is here
on board with me； to…day for once I mean to make her as happy as I
am able； and to do that which I know she likes。 You； on the other
hand； go and see your father； and do ditto； and give him a real
good hour or two。 We shall both be glad hereafter。 … Yours ever；
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO H。 B。 BAILDON
VAILIMA； UPOLU ＇UNDATED； BUT WRITTEN IN 1891＇。
MY DEAR BAILDON； … This is a real disappointment。 It was so long
since we had met； I was anxious to see where time had carried and
stranded us。 Last time we saw each other … it must have been all
ten years ago； as we were new to the thirties … it was only for a
moment； and now we're in the forties； and before very long we shall
be in our graves。 Sick and well； I have had a splendid life of it；
grudge nothing； regret very little … and then only some little
corners of miscond