第1部分(第3/7 頁)

uity　of　three　hundred　pounds。　Having　only　himself　to　support　（he　had　been　a　widower　for　several　years；　and　his　daughter；　an　only　child；　was　married）；　Ryecroft　saw　in　this　ine　something　more　than　a　petency。　In　a　few　weeks　he　quitted　the　London　suburb　where　of　late　he　had　been　living；　and；　turning　to　the　part　of　England　which　he　loved　best；　he　presently　established　himself　in　a　cottage　near　Exeter；　where；　with　a　rustic　housekeeper　to　look　after　him；　he　was　soon　thoroughly　at　home。　Now　and　then　some　friend　went　down　into　Devon　to　see　him；　those　who　had　that　pleasure　will　not　forget　the　plain　little　house　amid　its　half…wild　garden；　the　cosy　book…room　with　its　fine　view　across　the　valley　of　the　Exe　to　Haldon；　the　host's　cordial；　gleeful　hospitality；　rambles　with　him　in　lanes　and　meadows；　long　talks　amid　the　stillness　of　the　rural　night。　We　hoped　it　would　all　last　for　many　a　year；　it　seemed；　indeed；　as　though　Ryecroft　had　only　need　of　rest　and　calm　to　bee　a　hale　man。　But　already；　though　he　did　not　know　it；　he　was　suffering　from　a　disease　of　the　heart；　which　cut　short　his　life　after　little　more　than　a　lustrum　of　quiet　contentment。　It　had　always　been　his　wish　to　die　suddenly；　he　dreaded　the　thought　of　illness；　chiefly　because　of　the　trouble　it　gave　to　others。　On　a　summer　evening；　after　a　long　walk　in　very　hot　weather；　he　lay　down　upon　the　sofa　in　his　study；　and　there……as　his　calm　face　declared……passed　from　slumber　into　the　great　silence。

When　he　left　London；　Ryecroft　bade　farewell　to　authorship。　He　told　me　that　he　hoped　never　to　write　another　line　for　publication。　But；　among　the　papers　which　I　looked　through　after　his　death；　I　came　upon　three　manuscript　books　which　at　first　glance　seemed　to　be　a　diary；　a　date　on　the　opening　page　of　one　of　them　showed　that　it　had　been　beg