第1部分(第2/7 頁)

ng；　was；　certainly　not　a　broken　spirit；　but　a　mind　and　temper　so　sternly　disciplined；　that；　in　ordinary　intercourse　with　him；　one　did　not　know　but　that　he　led　a　calm；　contented　life。　Only　after　several　years　of　friendship　was　I　able　to　form　a　just　idea　of　what　the　man　had　gone　through；　or　of　his　actual　existence。　Little　by　little　Ryecroft　had　subdued　himself　to　a　modestly　industrious　routine。　He　did　a　great　deal　of　mere　hack…work；　he　reviewed；　he　translated；　he　wrote　articles；　at　long　intervals　a　volume　appeared　under　his　name。　There　were　times；　I　have　no　doubt；　when　bitterness　took　hold　upon　him；　not　seldom　he　suffered　in　health；　and　probably　as　much　from　moral　as　from　physical　over…strain；　but；　on　the　whole；　he　earned　his　living　very　much　as　other　men　do；　taking　the　day's　toil　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　rarely　grumbling　over　it。

Time　went　on；　things　happened；　but　Ryecroft　was　still　laborious　and　poor。　In　moments　of　depression　he　spoke　of　his　declining　energies；　and　evidently　suffered　under　a　haunting　fear　of　the　future。　The　thought　of　dependence　had　always　been　intolerable　to　him；　perhaps　the　only　boast　I　at　any　time　heard　from　his　lips　was　that　he　had　never　incurred　debt。　It　was　a　bitter　thought　that；　after　so　long　and　hard　a　struggle　with　unkindly　circumstance；　he　might　end　his　life　as　one　of　the　defeated。

A　happier　lot　was　in　store　for　him。　At　the　age　of　fifty；　just　when　his　health　had　begun　to　fail　and　his　energies　to　show　abatement；　Ryecroft　had　the　rare　good　fortune　to　find　himself　suddenly　released　from　toil；　and　to　enter　upon　a　period　of　such　tranquillity　of　mind　and　condition　as　he　had　never　dared　to　hope。　On　the　death　of　an　acquaintance；　more　his　friend　than　he　imagined；　the　wayworn　man　of　letters　learnt　with　astonishment　that　there a　life　ann