第80部分(第2/7 頁)

many　people　who　like　“Ayesha”　better　than　they　do　“She。”

Lang　was　very　doubtful　about　this　book。　He　wrote：

You　may　think　me　a　hound；　but　I　only　found　out　as　I　went　to　bed　last　night　that　“Ayesha”　was　in　the　drawing…room。　Awfully　good　of　you　to　make　me　such　a　nice　dedication；　grammar　right　too；　which　I　name　because　in　a　very　jolly　book　egalement　dedie　to　me　the　grammar　is　wrong；　but　I　could　not　point　that　out　to　the　author。

I　am　almost　afraid　to　read　“She；”　as　at　61；00000　one　has　no　longer　the　joyous　credulity　of　forty；　and　even　your　imagination　is　out　of　the　fifth　form。　However；　plenty　of　boys　are　about；　and　I　hope　they　will　be　victims　of　the　enchantress。　。　。　。

I　was　therefore　correspondingly　relieved；　believing　as　I　do　that　Lang’s　judgment　on　imaginative　fiction　was　the　soundest　of　any　man　of　his　time；　and　knowing　his　habit　of　declaring　the　faith　that　was　in　him　without　fear；　favour；　or　prejudice；　when　on　the　following　day　I　received　another　note　in　which　he　said：

It　is　all　right：　I　am　Thrilled：　so　much　obliged。　I　thought　I　was　too　Old；　but　the　Eternal　Boy　is　still　on　the　job。　Unluckily　I　think　the　dam　reviewers　never　were　boys　—　most　of　them　the　Editor’s　nieces。　May　it　be　done　into　Thibetan。　Dolmen　business　in　Chapter　I　all　right！

I　have　often　been　asked；　and　have　been　careful　never　to　answer　the　question；　as　to　what　I　considered　the　best　passages　in　my　own　humble　writings。　It　is　a　very　favourite　query　of　the　casual　correspondent；　from　whom　I　receive；　on　an　average；　a　letter　a　day；　and　sometimes　many；　many　more。　Now　in　acknowledgment　of　them　all　I　reply　—　Ignosi’s　chant　in　“King　Solomon’s　Mines；”　as　it　appears　in　the　later　editions　of　that　book　（the　same　that　Stevenson　called　“a　very　noble　imitation”）；　the　somewhat　similar　cha