按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
coloured。 Looked at so； is it not； with all its tragic
features； wonderfully idyllic； with great beauty of scene and
circumstance？ And will you please to observe that almost all
that is ugly is in the whites？ I'll apologise for Papa
Randal if you like； but if I told you the whole truth … for I
did extenuate there！ … and he seemed to me essential as a
figure； and essential as a pawn in the game； Wiltshire's
disgust for him being one of the small； efficient motives in
the story。 Now it would have taken a fairish dose to disgust
Wiltshire。 … Again； the idea of publishing the Beach
substantively is dropped … at once； both on account of
expostulation； and because it measured shorter than I had
expected。 And it was only taken up； when the proposed
volume； BEACH DE MAR； petered out。 It petered out thus： the
chief of the short stories got sucked into SOPHIA SCARLET …
and Sophia is a book I am much taken with； and mean to get
to； as soon as … but not before … I have done DAVID BALFOUR
and THE YOUNG CHEVALIER。 So you see you are like to hear no
more of the Pacific or the nineteenth century for a while。
THE YOUNG CHEVALIER is a story of sentiment and passion；
which I mean to write a little differently from what I have
been doing … if I can hit the key； rather more of a
sentimental tremolo to it。 It may thus help to prepare me
for SOPHIA； which is to contain three ladies； and a kind of a
love affair between the heroine and a dying planter who is a
poet！ large orders for R。 L。 S。
O the German taboo is quite over； no soul attempts to support
the C。 J。 or the President； they are past hope； the whites
have just refused their taxes … I mean the council has
refused to call for them； and if the council consented；
nobody would pay； 'tis a farce； and the curtain is going to
fall briefly。 Consequently in my History； I say as little as
may be of the two dwindling stars。 Poor devils！ I liked the
one； and the other has a little wife； now lying in！ There
was no man born with so little animosity as I。 When I heard
the C。 J。 was in low spirits and never left his house； I
could scarce refrain from going to him。
It was a fine feeling to have finished the History； there
ought to be a future state to reward that grind！ It's not
literature； you know； only journalism； and pedantic
journalism。 I had but the one desire； to get the thing as
right as might be； and avoid false concords … even if that！
And it was more than there was time for。 However； there it
is： done。 And if Samoa turns up again my book has to be
counted with； being the only narrative extant。 Milton and I
… if you kindly excuse the juxtaposition … harnessed
ourselves to strange waggons； and I at least will be found to
have plodded very soberly with my load。 There is not even a
good sentence in it； but perhaps … I don't know … it may be
found an honest； clear volume。
WEDNESDAY。
Never got a word set down； and continues on Thursday 19th
May； his own marriage day as ever was。 News； yes。 The C。 J。
came up to call on us！ After five months' cessation on my
side； and a decidedly painful interchange of letters； I could
not go down … could not … to see him。 My three ladies
received him； however； he was very agreeable as usual； but
refused wine； beer； water； lemonade； chocolate and at last a
cigarette。 Then my wife asked him； 'So you refuse to break
bread？' and he waved his hands amiably in answer。 All my
three ladies received the same impression that he had serious
matters in his mind： now we hear he is quite cock…a…hoop
since the mail came； and going about as before his troubles
darkened。 But what did he want with me？ 'Tis thought he had
received a despatch … and that he misreads it （so we fully
believe） to the effect that they are to have war ships at
command and can make their little war after all。 If it be
so； and they do it； it will be the meanest wanton slaughter
of poor men for the salaries of two white failures。 But what
was his errand with me？ Perhaps to warn me that unless I
behave he now hopes to be able to pack me off in the CURACOA
when she comes。
I have celebrated my holiday from SAMOA by a plunge at the
beginning of THE YOUNG CHEVALIER。 I am afraid my touch is a
little broad in a love story； I can't mean one thing and
write another。 As for women； I am no more in any fear of
them； I can do a sort all right； age makes me less afraid of
a petticoat； but I am a little in fear of grossness。
However； this David Balfour's love affair； that's all right …
might be read out to a mothers' meeting … or a daughters'
meeting。 The difficulty in a love yarn； which dwells at all
on love； is the dwelling on one string； it is manifold； I
grant； but the root fact is there unchanged； and the
sentiment being very intense； and already very much handled
in letters； positively calls for a little pawing and gracing。
With a writer of my prosaic literalness and pertinency of
point of view； this all shoves toward grossness … positively
even towards the far more damnable CLOSENESS。 This has kept
me off the sentiment hitherto； and now I am to try： Lord！ Of
course Meredith can do it； and so could Shakespeare； but with
all my romance； I am a realist and a prosaist； and a most
fanatical lover of plain physical sensations plainly and
expressly rendered； hence my perils。 To do love in the same
spirit as I did （for instance） D。 Balfour's fatigue in the
heather； my dear sir； there were grossness … ready made！ And
hence； how to sugar？ However； I have nearly done with Marie…
Madeleine； and am in good hopes of Marie…Salome； the real
heroine； the other is only a prologuial heroine to introduce
the hero。
FRIDAY。
Anyway； the first prologuial episode is done； and Fanny likes
it。 There are only four characters； Francis Blair of Balmile
（Jacobite Lord Gladsmuir） my hero； the Master of Ballantrae；
Paradon； a wine…seller of Avignon； Marie…Madeleine his wife。
These two last I am now done with； and I think they are
successful； and I hope I have Balmile on his feet； and the
style seems to be found。 It is a little charged and violent；
sins on the side of violence； but I think will carry the
tale。 I think it is a good idea so to introduce my hero；
being made love to by an episodic woman。 This queer tale … I
mean queer for me … has taken a great hold upon me。 Where
the devil shall I go next？ This is simply the tale of a COUP
DE TETE of a young man and a young woman； with a nearly；
perhaps a wholly； tragic sequel； which I desire to make
thinkable right through； and sensible； to make the reader； as
far as I shall be able； eat and drink and breathe it。 Marie…
Salome des Saintes…Maries is； I think； the heroine's name；
she has got to BE yet： SURSUM CORDA！ So has the young
Chevalier； whom I have not yet touch