第35部分(第4/7 頁)

ght　to　bee　the　heroine　of　a　novel。　So　then　and　there　we　took　paper；　and　each　of　us　began　to　write　the　said　novel。　I　think　that　after　she　had　pleted　two　or　three　folio　sheets　my　wife　ceased　from　her　fictional　labours。　But；　growing　interested；　I　continued　mine；　which　resulted　in　the　story　called　“Dawn。”

Years　afterwards；　in　1894　indeed；　on　the　occasion　of　the　issue　of　one　of　the　numerous　editions　of　that　tale；　I　inserted　the　following　little　dedication：

AFTER　MANY　YEARS

I　dedicate　this　my　first　story

to

That　Unknown　Lady；

once　seen；　but　unforgotten；　the

mould　and　model　of　Angela；

the　magic　of　whose　face　turned　my　mind

to　the　making　of　books。

Here　I　may　as　well　tell　the　history　of　this　book。　Some　of　it；　or　rather　of　the　first　draft　of　it；　I　think　I　wrote　at　Norwood。　Towards　Christmas　of　1882　my　wife　and　I　made　up　our　minds　to　return　to　this　house　at　Ditchingham；　which　was　standing　empty　and　furnished；　while　I　pursued　my　studies　at　the　Bar。　Hither　we　came　accordingly　a　little　while　before　the　birth　of　my　eldest　daughter。　She　was　named　Angela　after　the　heroine　of　my　novel；　which　shows　that　at　this　time　it　must　either　have　been　written　or　well　advanced。

There　appear　to　be　three　drafts　of　this　work；　the　first　of　which　（inplete）　is　named　“Angela；”　after　the　heroine；　the　second；　five　hundred　and　fifty…four　closely　written　foolscap　sheets　long（！）；　estimated；　I　observe；　upon　the　title…page　to　print　into　about　a　thousand　pages；　called　“There　Remaih　a　Rest”；　and　the　third；　bound　MS。　（unnamed）；　four　hundred　and　niy…three　foolscap　sheets。　The　history　of　them　is　briefly　as　follows。　With　pain　and　labour　I　wrote　the　work　—　five　hundred　and　fifty…four　foolscap　sheets　do　take　some　labour　in　the　actual　matter　of　ca