the days of my life-第46节

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od　or　bad；　or　they　will　not　be　read　and　therefore　not　bought。　I　hope；　however；　that　the　taste　will　be　good　when　your　book　es　out；　because；　if　it　is；　I　have　no　doubt　of　its　success　。　。　。　。
Always　affectionately　yours；
T。　Shepstone。
Towards　the　end　of　this　letter　Sir　Theophilus　says　he　is　sailing　in　a　few　days　for　South　Africa。　I　do　not　think　that　he　ever　saw　the　shores　of　England　again。　It　is　needless　to　add　that　Sir　William　Sergeaunt　was　right　in　his　estimate　of　the　value　of　Sir　Robert　Herbert’s　speech。　No　further　permanent　employment　was　ever　offered　to　him。　Indeed；　it　was　after　this　date　that　the　persecution　of　him　began；　of　which　I　have　already　written。
In　1883　Osborn　wrote　me　a　letter　concerning　some　imantophyllum12　plants　that　he　had　collected　for　me　in　Zululand；　which　at　this　moment；　twenty…eight　years　afterwards；　are　blooming　in　the　greenhouse；　in　the　course　of　which　letter　he　makes　some　rather　interesting　remarks。
12　One　of　these　plants　was　still　blooming　in　Sir　Rider’s　bedroom　in　1925。　—　Ed。
Zulu　Reserve；　via　Stanger；　Natal：
August　2；　1883。
。　。　。　The　place　I　am　living　at　now　is　about　a　hundred　miles　south　of　Inhlazaty　and　is　one　of　the　loveliest　spots　in　South　Africa。　I　have　a　very　fine　forest　within　half　a　mile　of　my　house；　and　a　sea　view　a　good　sixty　miles　along　the　coast。　My　position　here　as　supreme　chief　representing　the　paramount　Power　is　certainly　an　improvement　on　the　last。
You　will　have　learnt　ere　this　of　Cetewayo’s　fate。　It　could　not　have　been　otherwise：　he　was　bound　to　e　to　grief；　as　from　the　day　he　set　foot　in　Zululand　—　since　his　restoration　he　has　never　ceased　in　doing　that　which　he　ought　not　to　have　done。　He　proved　himself　to　be　as　bad　a　character　as　ever　wore　a　head…ring。　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　he　will　do　better　in　the　happy　hunting…grounds　whither　he　betook　himself　on　Saturday；　21　July；　through　the　persuasive　influence　of　several　gleaming　blades　and　sundry　rifle　bullets。　As　to　myself　I　am　getting　thoroughly　sick　and　tired　of　this　dark　country　full　of　dark　deeds　of　evil　and　violence。　。　。　。　I　suppose　that　by　this　time　you　will　have　developed　into　a　full　blown　barrister；　and　I　need　not　tell　you　that　from　my　heart　I　wish　you　every　success。　You　ought　to　try　for　an　appointment　as　Attorney…General　in　a　colony　（Crown）；　as　you　have　the　pull　of　private　practice　in　addition　to　your　official　employment　in　such　an　office。
It　is　evident　that　when　Sir　Melmoth　Osborn　wrote　thus　of　the　death　of　Cetewayo　as　having　taken　place　on　July　21；　1883；　he　was　deceived　by　some　false　rumour　which　had　reached　the　Reserve　from　Zululand　proper。　Cetewayo　did　not　really　die　until　February　8；　1884；　and　Osborn　saw　his　corpse　before　it　was　quite　cold。　An　account　of　the　circumstances　of　his　death；　which　Sir　Melmoth　told　me　afterwards　he　believed　to　have　been　caused　by　poison；　will　be　found　on　pp。　28　and　29　of　the　Introduction　to　the　1888　and　subsequent　editions　of　my　book　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours。”
I　think　that　we　left　Ditchingham；　which　at　the　time　I　thought　I　had　let　for　some　years　to　a　gentleman　who　unhappily　died　before　he　took　possession；　at　the　beginning　of　1885；　about　ten　years　after　I　began　life　in　South　Africa。　Now　with　a　wife　and　three　children　I　was　practically　beginning　life　again　in　a　small　furnished　house　in　West　Kensington　at　the　age　of　twenty…eight　or　thereabouts。
I　remember；　as　one　does　remember　trifles；　that　we　drove　in　a　railway　bus　from　Liverpool　Street　to　the　West　Kensington　house；　which　personally　I　had　not　seen。　We　passed　down　the　Embankment；　and　my　little　son；　whom　I　was　destined　to　lose；　kneeled　upon　the　seat　of　the　bus　and　stared　at　the　Thames；　asking　many　questions。
After　my　arrival　in　London　I　began　to　attend　the　Probate　and　Divorce　Court。　Soon　I　found；　however；　that　if　I　was　to　obtain　a　footing　in　that　rather　close　borough；　I　must　do　so　through　a　regular　gate；　and　I　entered　into　an　arrangement　with　Bargrave　（now　Sir　Henry　Bargrave）　Deane　to　work　in　his　chambers。　He　was　a　connection　of　mine；　my　cousin　Major　George　Haggard　having　married　his　sister。　She　died　young。　At　that　time　her　father；　the　well…known　lawyer　old　Sir　James　Deane；　was　still　alive；　and　I　remember　acting　as　his　junior　in　some　Divorce　Court　case。　Bargrave　Deane　is　now　one　of　the　judges　of　the　Probate　and　Divorce　Division。
Chapter　10　“KING　SOLOMON’S　MINES”　AND　“SHE”
“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　—　Andrew　Lang　—　Estimate　of　Lang’s　character　—　Anecdotes　of　Lang　—　Cassells　and　“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　—　Instant　success　—　Letters　from　R。　L。　S。　—　Bazett　Haggard　and　R。　L。　S。　in　Samoa。　—　The　writing　of　“Jess”　and　“She”　—　What　I　shall　be　remembered　by　—　Fifteen　months’　work　—　“She”　dedicated　to　Lang　—　Published　by　Longmans　—　Letters　about　it　—　The　Sherd　of　Amenartas。
Whether　I　wrote　“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　before　or　after　I　entered　Bargrave　Deane’s　chambers　I　cannot　now　remember；　but　I　think　it　must　have　been　before。　At　any　rate　I　recollect　that　we　brought　up　from　Ditchingham　a　certain　pedestal　writing…desk；　which　had　always　been　in　the　house　and　has　returned　thither；　for　it　now　stands　in　my　wife’s　bedroom；　and　added　it　to　the　somewhat　exiguous　furniture　of　our　hired　abode。　It　stood　in　the　dining…room；　and　on　it　in　the　evenings　—　for　my　days　were　spent　in　the　Temple　—　I　wrote　“King　Solomon’s　Mines。”　I　think　the　task　occupied　me　about　six　weeks。　When　the　tale　was　finished　I　hawked　it　round　to　sundry　publishers；　Hurst　and　Blackett　among　them；　none　of　whom　if　I　remember　rightly；　thought　it　worth　bringing　out。
At　length；　I　know　not　how；　the　manuscript；　which　today　presents　a　somewhat　battered　appearance；　reached　the　late　W。　E。　Henley；　who　appears　to　have　brought　it　to　the　notice　of　Mr。　Andrew　Lang。　How　I　first　came　into　contact　with　my　friend　Andrew　Lang　—　that　is；　where　and　when　I　met　him　—　I　cannot　recall。　This；　however；　must　have　been　subsequent　to　the　following　note：
1　Marloes　Road：　March　28　＇1883＇。
My　dear　Sir；　—　Your　paper　“Bottles”　has　reached　me　as　London　editor　of　Harper’s。　I　am　much　pleased　by　it；　but　I　am　unable　to　accept　anything　except　by　permission　of　the　American　editor。　。　。　。　I　am　glad　to　take　this　opportunity　of　thanking　you　for　the　great　pleasure　“The　Witch’s　Head”　has　given　me。　I　have　not　read　anything　so　good　for　a　long　while。
Faithfully　yours；
A。　Lang。
What　the　paper　“Bottles”　may　have　been　I　am　not　now　quite　sure。　I　think；　however；　that　I　can　identify　it　with　a　short　tale　which　subsequently　appeared　in　a　magazine；　perhaps　the　Cornhill；　under　the　title　of　“The　Blue　Curtains。”　At　any　rate　I　have　forgotten　the　circumstances　of　the　story；　and　do　not　know　whether　a　copy　of　it　remains　in　my　possession。
When　Lang’s　next　letter　was　written　—　it　is　only　dated　“Sunday”　—　I　gather　from　its　tone　that　I　had　made　his　personal　acquaintance。　Its　subject　is　“King　Solomon’s　Mines；”　and　it　runs：
Dear　Mr。　Rider　Haggard；　—　I　have　got　so　far　as　Sir　Henry’s　duel　with　the　king。　Seldom　have　I　read　a　book　with　so　much　pleasure：　I　think　it　perfectly　delightful。　The　question　is；　what　is　the　best；　whereby　I　mean　the　coiniest；　way　to　publish　it？　As　soon　as　possible　I　will　find　out　what　Harper’s　Boy’s　Magazine　is　able　to　do。　I　believe　that　all　boys’　magazines　pay　hopelessly　badly。　There　is　so　much　invention　and　imaginative　power　and　knowledge　of　African　character　in　your　book　that　I　almost　prefer　it　to　“Treasure　Island。”
The　rest　of　the　letter　deals　with　possible　methods　of　bringing　out　the　work。
Lang’s　next　letter　on　the　subject　is　dated　October　3rd；　and　shows　that　by　now　we　were　on　more　or　less　intimate　terms。
Dear　Rider　Haggard；　—　Many　thanks　for　“K。S。M。”　How　grand　the　map　is。　。　。　。　Abstain　from　politics；　let　civilisation　die　decently　as　die　it　must；　and　as　we　have　no　fight　in　us。　I　don’t　belong　to　the　Voting　classes。　Ni　Elettori　ni　Eletti。
Yours　very　truly；
A。　Lang。
P。S。　—　My　people；　with　whom　I　have　been　in　Galloway；　prefer　“Dawn”　to　“The　Witch’s　Head。”　I　don’t。　“Dawn”　is　too　steep；　especially　Lady　Bellamy；　and　George；　and　Philip；　and　the　heroine。　The　writing　and　the　sentiment　pleased　me　very　much；　but　I　barred　the　Astral　Body。
Perhaps　before　I　go　any　further　I　should　try　to　give　some　estimate　of　Andrew　Lang；　whose　character　I　have　had　opportunities　of　observing　through　many　years。　Take　him　all　in　all　I　think　him　one　of　the　sweetest…natured　and　highest…minded　men　whom　it　has　ever　been　my　privilege　to　know；　although　a　certain　obtrusive　honesty　which　will　out；　and　an　indifferent　off…handedness　of　manner；　has　prevented　him　from　being　generally　popular。　Moreover；　he　has　always　been　supposed　to　be　somewhat　of　a　mocker　and　farceur；　as　is　exemplified　in　his　Press　nickname　of　“Merry　Andrew。”　Yet　the　truth　is　that　his　laughter　is　often　of　the　sort　that　is　summoned　to　the　lips　to　hide　tears　in　the　eyes。　This　may　be　seen　by　attentive　students　of　his　poems；　and；　in　truth；　few　are　more　easily　or　more　deeply　moved　by　anything　that　appeals　to　the　heart；　be　it　national；　or　personal。
Of　his　abilities　I　speak　with　some　diffidence。　On　all　hands　he　is　admitted　to　be　perhaps　the　soundest　and　ablest　critic　of　his　time；　but　when　it　es　to　his　place　as　an　historian；　or　as　a　student　and　recorder　of　matters　connected　with　myth；　ritual；　and　religion；　I　find　myself　inpetent　to　judg