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robert louis stevenson-第47章

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r part of a story must be supplied to him; if the whole  story is not submitted to him in MS。; and the agreement; if I am  not much mistaken; was entered into days before R。 L。 Stevenson  left Braemar; and when he came up to London some short time after  to go to Weybridge; the only arrangement then needed to be made was  about the forwarding of proofs to him。

The publication of TREASURE ISLAND in YOUNG FOLKS began on the 1st  October 1881; No。 565 and ran on in the following order:


OCTOBER 1; 1881。 THE PROLOGUE

No。 565。

I。 The Old Sea Dog at the Admiral Benbow。 II。 Black Dog Appears and Disappears。

No。 566。

Dated OCTOBER 8; 1881。

III。 The Black Spot。

No。 567。

Dated OCTOBER 15; 1881。

IV。 The Sea Chart。 V。 The Last of the Blind Man。 VI。 The Captain's Papers。

No。 568。

Dated OCTOBER 22; 1881。

THE STORY

I。 I go to Bristol。 II。 The Sea…Cook。 Ill。  Powder and Arms。


Now; as the numbers of YOUNG FOLKS were printed about a fortnight  in advance of the date they bear under the title; it is clear that  not only must the contract have been executed days before the  middle of September; but that a large proportion of the COPY must  have been in Mr Henderson's hands at that date too; as he must have  been entirely satisfied that the story would go on and be finished  in a definite time。  On no other terms would he have begun the  publication of it。  He was not in the least likely to have accepted  a story from a man who; though known as an essayist; had not yet  published anything in the way of a long story; on the ground merely  of three chapters of prologue。  Mr Gosse left Braemar on 5th  September; when he says nine chapters were written; and Mr  Henderson had offered terms for the story before the last of these  could have reached him。  That is on seeing; say six chapters of  prologue。  But when Mr Gosse speaks about three chapters only  written; does he mean three of the prologue or three of the story;  in addition to prologue; or what does he mean?  The facts are  clear。  I took away in my portmanteau a large portion of the MS。;  together with a very full outline of the rest of the story; so that  Mr Stevenson was; despite Mr Gosse's cavillings; SUBSTANTIALLY  right when he wrote in MY FIRST BOOK in the IDLER; etc。; that 〃when  he (Dr Japp) left us he carried away the manuscript in his  portmanteau。〃  There was nothing of the nature of an abandonment of  the story at any point; nor any difficulty whatever arose in this  respect in regard to it。



CHAPTER XXXII … STEVENSON PORTRAITS



OF the portraits of Stevenson a word or two may be said。  There is  a very good early photograph of him; taken not very long before the  date of my visit to him at Braemar in 1881; and is an admirable  likeness … characteristic not only in expression; but in pose and  attitude; for it fixes him in a favourite position of his; and is;  at the same time; very easy and natural。  The velvet jacket; as I  have remarked; was then his habitual wear; and the thin fingers  holding the constant cigarette an inseparable associate and  accompaniment。

He acknowledged himself that he was a difficult subject to paint …  not at all a good sitter … impatient and apt to rebel at posing and  time spent in arrangement of details … a fact he has himself; as we  shall see; set on record in his funny verses to Count Nerli; who  painted as successful a portrait as any。  The little miniature;  full…length; by Mr J。 S。 Sarjent; A。R。A。; which was painted at  Bournemouth in 1885; is confessedly a mere sketch and much of a  caricature:  it is in America。  Sir W。 B。 Richmond has an  unfinished portrait; painted in 1885 or 1886 … it has never passed  out of the hands of the artist; … a photogravure from it is our  frontispiece。

There is a medallion done by St Gauden's; representing Stevenson in  bed propped up by pillows。  It is thought to be a pretty good  likeness; and it is now in Mr Sidney Colvin's possession。  Others;  drawings; etc。; are not of much account。

And now we come to the Nerli portrait; of which so much has been  written。  Stevenson himself regarded it as the best portrait of him  ever painted; and certainly it also is characteristic and  effective; and though not what may be called a pleasant likeness;  is probably a good representation of him in the later years of his  life。  Count Nerli actually undertook a voyage to Samoa in 1892;  mainly with the idea of painting this portrait。  He and Stevenson  became great friends; as Stevenson naively tells in the verses we  have already referred to; but even this did not quite overcome  Stevenson's restlessness。  He avenged himself by composing these  verses as he sat:


Did ever mortal man hear tell o' sic a ticklin' ferlie As the comin' on to Apia here o' the painter Mr Nerli? He cam'; and; O; for o' human freen's o' a' he was the pearlie … The pearl o' a' the painter folk was surely Mr Nerli。 He took a thraw to paint mysel'; he painted late and early; O wow! the many a yawn I've yawned i' the beard o' Mr Nerli。 Whiles I wad sleep and whiles wad wake; an' whiles was mair than  surly; I wondered sair as I sat there fornent the eyes o' Nerli。 O will he paint me the way I want; as bonnie as a girlie? O will he paint me an ugly tyke? … and be d…d to Mr Nerli。 But still an' on whichever it be; he is a canty kerlie; The Lord protect the back an' neck o' honest Mr Nerli。


Mr Hammerton gives this account of the Nerli portrait:


〃The history of the Nerli portrait is peculiar。  After being  exhibited for some time in New Zealand it was bought; in the course  of this year; by a lady who was travelling there; for a hundred  guineas。  She then offered it for that sum to the Scottish National  Portrait Gallery; but the Trustees of the Board of Manufactures …  that oddly named body to which is entrusted the fostering care of  Art in Scotland; and; in consequence; the superintendence of the  National Portrait Gallery … did not see their way to accept the  offer。  Some surprise has been expressed at the action of the  Trustees in thus declining to avail themselves of the opportunity  of obtaining the portrait of one of the most distinguished Scotsmen  of recent times。  It can hardly have been for want of money; for  though the funds at their disposal for the purchase of ordinary  works of art are but limited; no longer ago than last year they  were the recipients of a very handsome legacy from the late Mr J。  M。 Gray; the accomplished and much lamented Curator of the Scottish  National Portrait Gallery … a legacy left them for the express  purpose of acquiring portraits of distinguished Scotsmen; and the  income of which was amply sufficient to have enabled them to  purchase this portrait。  One is therefore almost shut up to the  conclusion that the Trustees were influenced in their decision by  one of the two following reasons:

〃1。 That they did not consider Stevenson worthy of a place in the  gallery。  This is a position so incomprehensible and so utterly  opposed to public sentiment that one can hardly credit it having  been the cause of this refusal。  Whatever may be the place which  Stevenson may ultimately take as an author; and however opinions  may differ a
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