第41部分(第2/7 頁)

the　Vaal　River；　he　galloped　away　pursued　by　his　own　terrors。　I　remember　that　I　was　much　distressed　at　this　loss；　thinking　that　what　I　had　written　was　the　best　thing　I　had　ever　done。　I　waited　awhile；　hoping　that　the　address　written　within　the　case　might　bring　it　back　to　me。　But　it　never　did。　So　I　rewrote　the　missing　sheets　from　memory；　which　has　never　been　my　strong　point。　I　wonder　whether　they　are　better　or　worse　than　those　that　departed！

So　soon　as　“Jess；”　of　which　I　will　speak　more　hereafter；　was　finished；　or　rather　about　a　month　later；　I　began　another　tale　which　the　world　knows　as　“She。”　The　exact　date　of　its　mencement　is　uncertain；　for　it　has　been　obliterated　by　a　clip　that　fastened　the　manuscript　together；　and　all　that　remains　is　“Feb。86。”　At　the　end；　however；　is　inscribed　“Finished　18　March　1886。”　Therefore；　even　supposing　that　it　was　begun　upon　the　1st　February；　which　would　mean　that　I　had　allowed　myself　a　month’s　rest　after　finishing　“Jess；”　the　whole　romance　was　pleted　in　a　little　over　six　weeks。　Moreover；　it　was　never　rewritten；　and　the　manuscript　carries　but　few　corrections。　The　fact　is　that　it　was　written　at　white　heat；　almost　without　rest；　and　that　is　the　best　way　to　pose。

I　remember　that　when　I　sat　down　to　the　task　my　ideas　as　to　its　development　were　of　the　vaguest。　The　only　clear　notion　that　I　had　in　my　head　was　that　of　an　immortal　woman　inspired　by　an　immortal　love。　All　the　rest　shaped　itself　round　this　figure。　And　it　came　—　it　came　faster　than　my　poor　aching　hand　could　set　it　down。

Well　do　I　recall　taking　the　pleted　manuscript　to　the　office　of　my　literary　agent；　Mr。　A。　P。　Watt；　and　throwing　it　on　the　table　with　the　remark：　“There　is　what　I　shall　be　remembered　by。”　Well　do　I　recall　also　visiting　Mr。　Watt　at　his　office；　which　then　was