第40部分(第4/7 頁)

tly　bloody　axe　which　decapitated　“young　Mataafa”　shoved　under　my　nose　to　admire　and　adore。　I　told　my　friend　“Safolu”　to　take　his　beastly　thing　away　and　he　seemed　quite　surprised　。　。　。　。　These　books　are　R。　L。　S。‘s　gift　to　you　—　write　him　a　line　。　。　。　。

Your　loving　brother；

Bazett　M。　Haggard。

Stevenson　and　I　are　great　friends；　he　is　such　a　good　chap；　but　as　I　say　of　him　in　my　book。

As　regards　the　volumes　themselves；　which　seem　to　fetch　a　great　deal　of　money　when　they　e　on　the　market；　I　am　only　able　to　say　that　I　have　studied　them　with　great　zeal　but　am　unable　to　make　head　or　tail　of　them。　Perhaps　this　is　because　I　do　not　possess　the　key　to　the　joke　or　understand　the　local　allusions。

I　have　only　one　more　relic　of　Stevenson；　a　very　amusing　poem　which　he　wrote　to　Lang　and　myself　on　“The　World’s　Desire；”　or　rather　a　copy　of　it；　for　I　believe　that　Lang　has　lost　the　original。　Again　I　must　express　my　sorrow　that　I　never　saw　Stevenson。　Evidently　he　was　a　delightful　man　and　as　brilliant　as　he　was　charming；　truly　a　master　of　his　craft。　“Dr。　Jeckell　and　Mr。　Hyde”　has　always　seemed　to　me　one　of　the　most　remarkable　things　of　its　sort　in　the　English　language。　Longman　gave　me　an　early　copy　of　it　just　after　it　was　issued　from　the　press；　and　this　I　still　possess　somewhere。　I　shall　never　forget　the　thrill　with　which　I　read　the　story；　in　places　the　horror　of　it　is　enough　to　cause　the　hair　to　rise。　His　essays；　too；　are　almost　unmatched；　at　any　rate　in　our　time；　and　next　to　these　I　should　put　“The　Master　of　Ballantrae。”　At　least　such　is　my　individual　taste。

About　“King　Solomon’s　Mines”　I　have　only　this　to　add。　In　it　I　made　a　mistake　with　reference　to　an　eclipse；　which　brought　me　into　much　trouble　with　astronomers；　and　also　with　numbers　of　the　reading