第36部分(第1/7 頁)

o　do　so。

Your　story　disposes　me　to　think　you　have　that　ambition。　It　also　causes　me　to　hope　that　I　may　make　the　author’s　acquaintance。　If　you　call　on　me　when　you　are　in　town　I　shall　be　delighted　to　ask　your　pardon　for　writing　to　you　with　such　unmannerly　frankness　and　self…sufficiency。

Believe　me　to　be；　my　dear　sir；

Yours　very　sincerely；

John　Cordy　Jeaffreson。

What　an　extraordinarily　kind　heart　must　have　been　that　of　Mr。　Jeaffreson！　He　was　a　very　busy　man；　producing　as　he　did　works　of　fiction　and　of　biography；　in　addition　to　his　antiquarian　labours　that　involved　the　deciphering　of　thousands　of　old　documents；　by　means　of　all　which　toil　he　earned　a　moderate　ine。　Yet　he　found　time　on　behalf　of　an　individual　totally　unknown　to　him；　or　to　anybody　else　in　this　country；　to　labour　through　several　hundred　not　too　legible　sheets　of　manuscript；　and　to　write　a　masterly　criticism　of　their　contents。　Moreover；　for　all　this　trouble　he　refused　to　accept　any　reward。　Certainly　it　has　been　my　fortune　to　make　acquaintance　with　much　malice　in　the　world；　but　on　the　other　hand　I　have　met　with　signal　kindness　at　the　hands　of　those　engaged　in　literary　pursuits；　and　of　such　kindnesses　I　can　recall　no　more　striking　example　than　this　act　of　Mr。　Jeaffreson；　of　whom　I　shall　always　entertain　the　most　affectionate　memory。

Well；　I　took　his　advice。　From　a　tiny　note　on　the　first　page　of　the　manuscript　it　would　seem　that　I　began　to　rewrite　“Dawn”　or　“Angela；”　as　it　was　then　called；　on　May　15；　1883；　and　finished　the　last　of　the　four　hundred　and　niy…three　foolscap　sheets　on　September　5th　of　the　same　year。　That　is；　in　just　under　four　months；　in　addition　to　my　legal　studies　and　other　occupations　and　the　time　taken　in　attending　in　London　to　eat　my　dinners　at　Lincoln’s