第49部分(第6/7 頁)

ot　be　terser。　I　never　read　the　very　end；　as　it　had　affected　me　quite　enough　before　I　came　to　that。　The　scene　on　shipboard　is　not　too　like　the　Wanderer　bit　＇in　“The　World’s　Desire”　—　H。　R。　H。＇；　because　it　is　worked　out　and　credible。　The　cloak；　however；　would　suffice　and　be　all　right；　without　the　replacing　of　the　bonds；　which；　under　the　cloak；　would　be　needless。　The　other　bit；　the　seduction；　is　all　right　in　itself：　but　it　is　one　of　the　passages　which　the　sages　would　have　slurred；　as　not　interesting　to　their　bloodthirsty　public。　I　think　it　may　be　none　the　worse　for　what　you　have　done　to　it。　Don’t　“time　heart”　about　it　because　of　my　pedantries。　It　is　because　it　is　good　that　I　want　it　to　be　best。　Skallagrim　is　always　worth　his　weight　in　wadmal；　whatever　wadmal　may　be。　The　death　of　Groa　fetches　me　less；　I　don’t　know　why。　However；　if　you　once　don’t　think　well　of　it；　in　the　nature　of　man　it　is　certain　to　be　more　excellent；　just　as　one　always　did　well　in　examinations　where　one　despaired。　It　is　a　queer　fact；　but　it　is　so。　The　style　is　capital；　but　I　rather　think　that　of　“Nada”　is　still　better。　I　hope　I　shall　live　to　review　it；　or　rather　that　I　shall　review　it　if　I　live。　For　heaven’s　sake；　don’t　be　disgusted　with　it；　or　me　because　I　look　at　it　through　a　microscope。　If　I　didn’t　my　looking　at　it　would　be　of　little　use。　None　of　my　things　are　worth　the　lens；　and　the　trouble；　so　I　don’t。

Yours　ever；

A。　Lang。

“Eric”　came　out　in　due　course；　and　did　well　enough。　Indeed　as　a　book　it　found；　and　still　continues　to　find；　a　considerable　body　of　readers。　My　recollection　is；　however；　that　it　was　reviewed　simply　as　a　rather　spirited　and　sanguinary　tale。　Lang　was　quite　right。　The　gentlemen　who　dispense　praise　and　blame　to　us　poor　authors　have　not；　for　the　most　part；　made　a　stu