the days of my life-第49部分

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！


w　literary　records。
In　addition　to　much　worry；　my　work　at　this　time　was　truly　overwhelming。　The　unfortunate　agreement　to　which　I　have　already　alluded；　entered　into　with　the　firm　in　which　I　believe　Mr。　Maxwell；　the　late　husband　of　Miss　Braddon；　was　a　partner；　had　been　abrogated　without　a　lawsuit；　through　the　admirable　efforts　of　my　friend　and　agent；　Mr。　A。　P。　Watt。　But　this　was　done　at　a　price；　and　that　price　was　that　I　should　write　them　two　stories；　which　in　addition　to　my　other　and　more　serious　work　of　course　cost　me　time　and　labour。　The　tales　that　I　wrote　for　them　were　called　respectively　“Mr。　Meeson’s　Will”　and　“Allan’s　Wife。”　Ultimately；　after　various　“business　plications；”　in　the　course　of　which　I　lost　some　money　that　was　due　for　royalties；　together　with　“Dawn”　and　“The　Witch’s　Head；”　they　passed　into　the　hands　of　Messrs。　Longmans。
Then　I　began　“Cleopatra”　on　May　27；　1887；　and；　as　the　MS。　records；　finished　it　on　August　2nd　of　the　same　year。　In　order　to　do　this　I　fled　from　London　to　Ditchingham；　because　in　town　there　were　so　many　distractions　and　calls　upon　my　time　that　I　could　not　get　on　with　my　work。　I　remember　my　disgust　when　on　arrival　there　an　invitation　to　be　present　in　Westminster　Abbey　on　the　occasion　of　the　Jubilee　of　Queen　Victoria　was　forwarded　too　late　for　me　to　be　able　to　avail　myself　of　it。　Although　I　do　not　greatly　care　for　such　pomp　and　circumstance；　that　was　a　ceremony　which　I　should　have　liked　to　see。
Charles　Longman　thought　very　highly　indeed　of　“Cleopatra。”　Also；　he　backed　his　opinion　by　buying　the　copyright　of　the　book　for　a　large　sum　of　money。
By　the　way；　unluckily　for　myself；　I　also　sold　“Jess”　outright　and　not　for　a　large　sum。　Messrs。　Smith；　Elder；　however；　behaved　extremely　well　to　me；　for　when　the　novel　proved　such　a　great　success　they　sent　me　a　second　cheque　of　a　like　amount　as　that　they　had　given　for　the　copyright；　a　thing　which　perhaps　few　publishers　would　have　done。　Moreover；　a　dozen　years　or　so　later；　they　offered　to　give　me　back　a　half　interest　in　the　book　if　I　would　write　them　another　work。　This　I　was　very　anxious　to　do；　as　both　for　sentimental　and　business　reasons　I　should　much　have　liked　to　regain　a　part　proprietorship　in　“Jess。”　But　when　I　wrote　to　Charles　Longman　on　the　subject　he　begged　me　to　abandon　the　idea；　and　as　I　could　not　hurt　the　feelings　of　such　an　old　and　valued　friend；　I　did　so；　with　many　sighs。
I　should　explain　that　at　the　time　I　published　only　with　the　Longmans。　Afterwards　to　my　great　sorrow　I　was　obliged　to　abandon　this　arrangement；　for　the　reason　that　I　found　it　impossible　to　place　works　serially　unless　I　could　give　the　book　rights　as　well。　For　a　while　I　got　over　this　difficulty；　or　rather　Messrs。　Watt；　my　agents；　did；　by　selling　serial　rights　to　the　two　great　illustrated　papers。　But　in　course　of　time；　I　suppose　as　they　began　to　feel　the　pressure　of　the　petition　of　the　new　sixpenny　magazines；　they　gave　up　publishing　serials；　or　at　any　rate　paying　much　for　them。　So　I　had　to　go　to　those　who　would　run　the　serial　if；　and　only　if；　they　were　given　the　book　rights　also。
Lang　did　not　think　quite　so　highly　of　“Cleopatra”　as　Longman；　at　any　rate　at　first；　as　the　following　letter　shows：
You　will　loathe　me　for　the　advice；　but　if　I　were　you　I’d　put　“Cleopatra”　away　for　as　long　as　possible；　and　then　read　it　as　a　member　of　the　public。　You　will　find；　I　think；　that　between　chapters　3　and　8　it　is　too　long；　too　full　of　antiquarian　detail；　and　too　slow　in　movement　to　carry　the　general　public　with　it。　I　am　pretty　certain　of　this。　The　style　is　very　well　kept　up；　but　it　is　not　an　advantage　for　a　story　to　be　told　in　an　archaic　style　（this　of　course　is　unavoidable）。　For　that　reason　I　would　condense　a　good　deal　and　it　could　be　done。　You’ll　find　that　when　you　e　fresh　to　it　again。　The　topic　is　horribly　difficult：　there　is　a　kind　of　living　life　in　the　modern　Introduction　which　must　of　the　rest　wants；　as　far　as　I　have　gone。　I　see　pretty　clearly　where　and　how　the　condensing　could　be　done。　You　don’t　want　a　reader’s　interest　to　fall　asleep；　and　now　it　would　in　places。　I　am　writing　with　perfect　frankness　because；　of　course；　I　want　it　to　be　A1　in　its　genre　—　a　dreadfully　difficult　genre　it　is。　As　far　as　I　have　read　I　have　made　a　few　verbal　notes　where　the　style　occasionally　is　not　consistent。　But　the　main　thing　is；　at　any　expense；　to　hurry　on　more　—　to　give　the　impression　of　solemnity；　but　at　more　speed；　and　with　much　fewer　strokes。　I　know　you　hate　altering；　so　it　is　a　prendre　ou　a　laisser；　this　long　screed　of　opinion。　Of　course　I　see　it　is　a　book　you　have　written　for　yourself。　But　the　B。P。　must　also　be　thought　of。
In　a　second　letter；　written　about　the　same　time；　he　says：
I　gave　all　my　morning　to　“Cleopatra”　and　return　her。　After　Chapter　8　she’ll　do！　I　have　marked　a　good　many　minutiae　of　style；　or　expression。　In　a　few　places；　a　judicious　shortening　of　moral　reflections　by　Harmachis　would　give　him　more　point　to　my　mind。　Unluckily　neither　Harmachis　nor　Cleopatra　is　sympathetic。　Can’t　be　helped。　I　think　even　more　than　before　that　you　should　lighten　the　ship　by　greatly　shortening　between　chapters　3　and　8。　I　can　estimate　this；　because　today　I　read　slick　on　rapidly　and　was　interested　all　the　way。　In　the　earlier　part　my　attention　flagged　over　all　the　preparation；　and　many　a　traveller　would　not　have　persevered。　I　like　Antony；　but　don’t　feel　that　that　inexplicable　person　has　had　full　justice　done　him。　The　inevitably　archaic　style　will　not　make　it　more　popular；　but　that　can’t　possibly　be　helped。　As　a　whole　I　think　the　manner　is　very　well　kept　up。　I　venture　to　suggest　some　alterations　where　modern　words　e　in　out　of　tune。
Screw　it　a　little　tighter；　and　I　think　it　is　undeniably　an　artistic　piece　of　work。　The　imagination　kindles　up　after　the　killing　of　Paulus。　Before；　it　is　not　always　up　to　your　level　of　wakefulness　and　energy。　At　least　that’s　my　impression。　What　an　awful　piece　of　romance　the　end　is！　I　like　Charmion　to　turn　on　him　for　his　bullying　the　queen。　The　absence　of　any　business　for　the　other　girl；　Iras；　strikes　me　as　rather　a　pity。　I’d　like；　if　you　don’t　mind；　to　read　over　the　early　part　with　you　as　I　feel　a　good　deal　turns　on　adding　energy　to　that；　and　on　condensing。　The　Menkara　bit　is　A1；　and　Cyprus　is　good　—　did　you　take　the　wreck　from　the　Odyssey　at　all？　I　don’t　see　who　they　can　say　you　stole　your　plot　from。　They’ll　say　the　parts　from　Plutarch　are　from　Shakespeare；　probably　they　never　read　Plutarch！
I　do　not　know　whether　I　cut　out　much　from　the　chapters　which　Lang　though　too　long。　Probably　not；　since　I　have　always　been　a　very　bad　hand　at　making　alterations　in　what　I　have　once　put　down；　unless　indeed　I　rewrite　the　entire　work。　Moreover；　at　any　rate　in　my　books；　this　cutting　out　of　passages　resembles　the　pulling　of　bricks　from　a　built　wall；　since　it　will　be　found　that　every　or　nearly　every　passage；　even　if　it　is　of　a　reflective　character；　is　developed　or　alluded　to　in　some　portion　of　what　follows。　The　pulling　out　of　bricks　may　or　may　not　improve　the　appearance　of　the　wall；　but　it　certainly　decreases　its　stability。
In　the　Author’s　Note　at　the　mencement　of　“Cleopatra”　I　see　that　I　wrote　the　following　passage；　evidently　having　Lang’s　criticism　in　mind：
Unfortunately　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　write　a　book　of　this　nature　and　period　without　introducing　a　certain　amount　of　illustrative　matter；　for　by　no　other　means　can　the　long　dead　past　be　made　to　live　again　before　the　reader’s　eyes　with　all　its　accessories　of　faded　pomp　and　forgotten　mystery。　For　such　students　as　seek　a　story　only；　and　are　not　interested　in　the　Faith；　ceremonies；　or　customs　of　the　Mother　of　Religion　and　Civilisation；　ancient　Egypt；　it　is；　however；　respectfully　suggested　that　they　should　exercise　the　art　of　skipping　and　open　this　tale　at　its　second　book。
I　dedicated　“Cleopatra”　to　my　mother；　because　I　thought　it　the　best　book　I　had　written　or　was　likely　to　write；　although　since　then　I　have　modified　that　opinion　in　favour　or　one　or　two　that　came　after　it。　The　following　letter　from　her　was　written　not　long　before　her　death；　and　was；　I　think；　the　last　I　ever　received　from　her。
Bradenham：　June　29；　1889。
My　dearest　Rider；　—　I　have　only　a　few　minutes　to　write　and　thank　you　for　your　charming　gift；　but　I　must　not　let　the　week　pass　over　without　my　doing　so。　I　think　it　is　got　up　as　well　as　possible；　and　the　Dedication　is　most　successfully　acplished；　which　must　be　as　gratifying　to　you　as　to　me。　I　have　not　thoroughly　looked　at　the　illustrations；　but　see　that　they　are　very　much　more　to　be　liked　than　those　of　the　Illustrated　News。　Thank　you　greatly　for　your　excellent　work；　my　dear　son。　It　certainly　redounds　greatly　to　you；　dearest　Rider；　whatever　the　critics　may　say；　and　I　have　no　doubt　they　will　do　their　worst。　But　I　think　posterity　will　do　justice　to　your　production。　I　will　write　no　more　as　I　cannot　easily　add　to　this。
Your　ever　most　affectionate　Mother；
Ella　Haggard。
There　is　also　a　letter　from　my　father　in　which　he　says　that　my　mother　opened　and　looked　at　the　book　“not　without　tears。”　Whether　she　ever　read　it　herself　I　do　not　know；　for　by　this　time　her　sight　was　failing　much。
A　few　months　later　I　stood　at　her　death…bed　and　received　her　last　blessing。　But　of　that　long…drawn　out　and　very　sad　scene；　even　after　the　lapse　of　two…and…twenty　years；　I　cannot　bear　to　write。
“Cleopatra”　ran　serially　through　the　Illustrated　London　News　before　its　appearance　in　book　form。　It　is　a　work　that　has　found　many　friends；　but　my　recollection　is　that；　as　my　mother　foresaw；　it　was　a　good　deal　attacked　by　the　critics　who　were　angry　that；　after　Shakespeare’s　play；　I　should　dare　to　write　of　Cleopatra。　However；　I　have　not　kept　any　of　the　notices；　indeed　I　think　I　saw　but　few。　Of　professional　critics　already　I　began　to　feel　a　certain　repletion。　Little　do　these　gentlemen　know　the　harm　that　they　do　sometimes。　A　story　es　into　my　mind　in　illustration　of　this　truth。　One　day；　years　later；　I　was　in　the　little　writing…room　of　the　Savile　Club；　that　on　the　first　floor　with　fern…cases　in　the　windows　where　one　may　not　smoke。　At　least；　so　things　were　when　I　ceased　to　be　a　member。　Presently　Thomas　Hardy　entered　and　took　up　one　of　the　leading　weekly　papers　in　which　was　a　long　review　of　his　last　novel。　He　read　it；　then　came　to　me　—　there　w