第41部分(第3/7 頁)

　at　2　Paternoster　Square；　and　finding　him　out。　As　the　business　was　urgent；　and　I　did　not　wish　to　have　to　return；　I　sat　down　at　his　table；　asked　for　some　foolscap；　and　in　the　hour　or　two　that　I　had　to　wait　wrote　the　scene　of　the　destruction　of　She　in　the　Fire　of　Life。　This；　however；　was　of　course　a　little　while　—　it　may　have　been　a　few　days　—　before　I　delivered　the　manuscript。

It　would　seem；　therefore；　that　between　January　1885　and　March　18；　1886；　with　my　own　hand；　and　unassisted　by　any　secretary；　I　wrote　“King　Solomon’s　Mines；”　“Allan　Quatermain；”　“Jess；”　and　“She。”　Also　I　followed　my　profession；　spending　many　hours　of　each　day　studying　in　chambers；　or　in　Court；　where　I　had　some　devilling　practice；　carried　on　my　usual　correspondence；　and　attended　to　the　affairs　of　a　man　with　a　young　family　and　a　certain　landed　estate。

A　little　later　on　the　work　grew　even　harder；　for　to　it　was　added　the　toil　of　an　enormous　correspondence　hurled　at　me　by　every　kind　of　person　from　all　over　the　earth。　If　I　may　judge　by　those　which　remain　marked　with　a　letter　A　for　“answered；”　I　seem　to　have　done　my　best　to　reply　to　all　these　scribes；　hundreds　of　them；　even　down　to　the　autograph…hunter；　a　task　which　must　have　taken　up　a　good　part　of　every　day；　and　this　in　addition　to　all　my　other　work。　No　wonder　that　my　health　began　to　give　out　at　last；　goaded　as　I　was　at　that　period　of　my　life　by　constant　and　venomous　attacks。

When　“She”　was　in　proof　for　serial　publication　in　the　Graphic　I　showed　it　to　Andrew　Lang。　He　writes　to　me　on　July　12；　1886：

I　have　pretty　nearly　finished　“She。”　I　really　must　congratulate　you；　I　think　it　is　one　of　the　most　astonishing　romances　I　ever　read。　The　more　impossible　it　is；　the　better　you　do　it；　till　it　seems　like　a　story　from　the　literature　of　ano