第44部分(第5/7 頁)

ss　chance　thrust　them　under　my　eyes。　Therefore　of　those　years　there　are　few　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；