an unsocial socialist-第51部分

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person　who　cared）　behaved　in　a　most　unbecoming　fashion；　as　men
invariably　do　when　they　are　really　upset。　Perfect　propriety　at　a
death　is　seldom　achieved　except　by　the　undertaker；　who　has　the
advantage　of　being　free　from　emotion。

Your　rigmarole　（if　you　will　excuse　the　word）　about　the　tombstone
gives　quite　a　wrong　idea　of　my　attitude　on　that　occasion。　I
stayed　away　from　the　funeral　for　reasons　which　are；　I　should
think；　sufficiently　obvious　and　natural；　but　which　you　somehow
seem　to　have　missed。　Granted　that　my　fancy　for　Hetty　was　only　a
cloud　of　illusions；　still　I　could　not；　within　a　few　days　of　her
sudden　death；　go　in　cold　blood　to　take　part　in　a　grotesque　and
heathenish　mummery　over　her　coffin。　I　should　have　broken　out　and
strangled　somebody。　But　on　every　other　point　Iweakly
enoughsacrificed　my　own　feelings　to　those　of　Jansenius。　I　let
him　have　his　funeral；　though　I　object　to　funerals　and　to　the
practice　of　sepulture。　I　consented　to　a　monument；　although　there
is；　to　me；　no　more　bitterly　ridiculous　outcome　of　human　vanity
than　the　blocks　raised　to　tell　posterity　that　John　Smith；　or　Jane
Jackson；　late　of　this　parish；　was　born；　lived；　and　died　worth
enough　money　to　pay　a　mason　to　distinguish　their　bones　from　those
of　the　unrecorded　millions。　To　gratify　Jansenius　I　waived　this
objection；　and　only　interfered　to　save　him　from　being　fleeced　and
fooled　by　an　unnecessary　West　End　middleman；　who；　as　likely　as
not；　would　have　eventually　employed　the　very　man　to　whom　I　gave
the　job。　Even　the　epitaph　was　not　mine。　If　I　had　had　my　way　I
should　have　written：　〃HENRIETTA　JANSENIUS　WAS　BORN　ON　SUCH　A
DATE；　MARRIED　A　MAN　NAMED　TREFUSIS；　AND　DIED　ON　SUCH　ANOTHER
DATE；　AND　NOW　WHAT　DOES　IT　MATTER　WHETHER　SHE　DID　OR　NOT？〃　The
whole　notion　conveyed　in　the　book　that　I　rode　rough…shod　over
everybody　in　the　affair；　and　only　consulted　my　own　feelings；　is
the　very　reverse　of　the　truth。

As　to　the　tomfoolery　down　at　Brandon's；　which　ended　in　Erskine
and　myself　marrying　the　young　lady　visitors　there；　I　can　only
congratulate　you　on　the　determination　with　which　you　have　striven
to　make　something　like　a　romance　out　of　such　very　thin　material。
I　cannot　say　that　I　remember　it　all　exactly　as　you　have　described
it；　my　wife　declares　flatly　there　is　not　a　word　of　truth　in　it　as
far　as　she　is　concerned；　and　Mrs。　Erskine　steadily　refuses　to
read　the　book。

On　one　point　I　must　acknowledge　that　you　have　proved　yourself　a
master　of　the　art　of　fiction。　What　Hetty　and　I　said　to　one
another　that　day　when　she　came　upon　me　in　the　shrubbery　at　Alton
College　was　known　only　to　us　two。　She　never　told　it　to　anyone；
and　I　soon　forgot　it。　All　due　honor；　therefore；　to　the　ingenuity
with　which　you　have　filled　the　hiatus；　and　shown　the　state　of
affairs　between　us　by　a　discourse　on　〃　surplus　value；〃　cribbed
from　an　imperfect　report　of　one　of　my　public　lectures；　and　from
the　pages　of　Karl　Marx！　If　you　were　an　economist　I　should　condemn
you　for　confusing　economic　with　ethical　considerations；　and　for
your　uncertainty　as　to　the　function　which　my　father　got　his　start
by　performing。　But　as　you　are　only　a　novelist；　I　compliment　you
heartily　on　your　clever　little　pasticcio；　adding；　however；　that
as　an　account　of　what　actually　passed　between　myself　and　Hetty；
it　is　the　wildest　romance　ever　penned。　Wickens's　boy　was　far
nearer　the　mark。

In　conclusion；　allow　me　to　express　my　regret　that　you　can　find　no
better　employment　for　your　talent　than　the　writing　of　novels。　The
first　literary　result　of　the　foundation　of　our　industrial　system
upon　the　profits　of　piracy　and　slave…trading　was　Shakspere。　It　is
our　misfortune　that　the　sordid　misery　and　hopeless　horror　of　his
view　of　man's　destiny　is　still　so　appropriate　to　English　society
that　we　even　to…day　regard　him　as　not　for　an　age；　but　for　all
time。　But　the　poetry　of　despair　will　not　outlive　despair　itself。
Your　nineteenth　century　novelists　are　only　the　tail　of　Shakspere。
Don't　tie　yourself　to　it：　it　is　fast　wriggling　into　oblivion。

I　am；　dear　sir；　yours　truly；

SIDNEY　TREFUSIS。






End