第36部分(第3/7 頁)

character；　pathos；　incident；　and　new　ground：　so　good　that　had　it　been　less　I　should　have　advised　him　to　publish　it　as　it　came　to　me。　The　goodness　of　the　story；　however；　made　me　urge　him　to　rewrite　it；　so　that　every　chapter　should　be　in　harmony　with　its　best　and　strongest　parts。　He　has　acted　on　my　advice；　and　if　the　result　of　his　renewed　labour　answers　my　anticipation；　he　has　produced　a　work　that　will　make　your　reader　rub　his　hands　and　say　“This　will　do。”　。　。　。

Messrs。　Hurst　and　Blackett　wrote　to　me；　and　well　do　I　remember　the　jubilation　with　which　I　read　the　letter：

We　shall　be　very　happy　to　undertake　the　publication　of　your　novel　on　the　following　terms。　To　produce　the　work　at　our　own　expense　and　risk。　To　pay　you　the　sum　of　40　pounds　on　the　sale　of　four　hundred　copies　and　30　pounds　on　the　sale　of　every　hundred　copies　after。　The　title　“Angela”　has　been　used　before　。　。　。　。

Needless　to　say　I　accepted　the　offer　with　gratitude　and　promised　to　find　another　title。　Three　days　later　the　agreement　arrived　under　which　I　sold　the　copyright　to　Messrs。　Hurst　and　Blackett　for　a　period　of　one　year　only　from　the　date　of　publication。　In　their　covering　letter　they　informed　me　that　they　only　proposed　to　print　five　hundred　copies　in　the　three…volume　form；　leaving　me　at　liberty　to　make　any　arrangements　I　liked　for　a　cheap　edition；　if　one　should　be　demanded。

About　this　time；　namely　just　after　he　had　read　the　MS。　of　“Angela；”　I　received　the　following　interesting　but　undated　letter　from　Mr。　Jeaffreson：

Dear　Sir；　—　Can’t　you　arrange　to　dine　with　us　at　seven　o’clock　on　the　10th　of　next　month？　We　could　talk　all　round　the　literary　question　over　a　cigar　in　my　study　after　dinner。　Could　you　succeed　in　literature？　Certainly　up　to　a　certain　point：　unquestionably　up　to