第18章

"MissWylie,"saidErskine,springingup,"hegavemehiswordthathewouldnotgobythattrainwhenItoldhimMissLindsaywasgoingbyit。HehasbrokenhiswordandseizedtheopportunityIwasmadandcredulousenoughtotellhimof。IfI

hadbeeninyourplace,Brandon,Iwouldhavestrangledhimorthrownhimunderthewheelssoonerthanlethimgo。Hehasshownhimselfinthisasineverythingelse,acheat,aconspirator,amanofcrookedways,shifts,tricks,lyingsophistries,heartlessselfishness,cruelcynicism——"Hestoppedtocatchhisbreath,andSirCharlesinterposedaremonstrance。

"Youareexcitingyourselfaboutnothing,Chester。TheyareinaPullman,withhermaidandplentyofpeople;andsheexpresslygavehimleavetogowithher。Heaskedherthequestionflatlybeforemyface,andImustsayIthoughtitastrangethingforhertoconsentto。However,shedidconsent,andofcourseIwasnotinapositiontopreventhimfromgoingtoLondonifhepleased。Don"tletushaveascene,oldman。Itcan"tbehelped。"

"Iamverysorry,"saidErskine,hanginghishead。"Ididnotmeantomakeascene。Ibegyourpardon。"

Hewentawaytohisroomwithoutanotherword。SirCharlesfollowedandattemptedtoconsolehim,butErskinecaughthishand,andaskedtobelefttohimself。SoSirCharlesreturnedtothedrawing—room,wherehiswife,atalossforonce,hardlyventuredtoremarkthatshehadneverheardofsuchathinginherlife。

Agathakeptsilence。ShehadlongagocomeunconsciouslytotheconclusionthatTrefusisandsheweretheonlymembersofthepartyattheBeecheswhohadmuchcommon—sense,andthismadeherslowtobelievethathecouldbeinthewrongandErskineintherightinanymisunderstandingbetweenthem。Shehadaslovenlywayofsummingupas"asses"peoplewhosehabitsofthoughtdifferedfromhers。Ofallvarietiesofman,theminorpoetrealizedherconceptionofthehumanassmostcompletely,andErskine,thoughaverynicefellowindeed,thoroughlygoodandgentlemanly,inheropinion,wasyetaminorpoet,andthereforeapronouncedass。Trefusis,onthecontrary,wasthelastmanofheracquaintancewhomshewouldhavethoughtofasaverynicefelloworavirtuousgentleman;buthewasnotana~s,althoughhewasobstinateinhisSocialisticfads。ShehadindeedsuspectedhimofweaknessalmostasininewithrespecttoGertrude,butthenallmenwereassesintheirdealingswithwomen,andsincehehadtransferredhisweaknesstoherownaccountitnolongerseemedtoneedjustification。Andnow,asherconcernforErskine,whomshepitied,woreoff,shebegantoresentTrefusis"sjourneywithGertrudeasanattackonherrecentlyacquiredmonopolyofhim。TherewasanairofaristocraticprideaboutGertrudewhichAgathahadformerlyenvied,andwhichshestillfearedTrefusismightmistakeforanindexofdignityandrefinement。Agathadidnotbelievethatherresentmentwasthecommonfeelingcalledjealousy,forshestilldeemedherselfunique,butitgaveherasenseofmeannessthatdidnotimproveherspirits。

Thedinnerwasdull。LadyBrandonspokeinanundertone,asifsomeonelaydeadinthenextroom。Erskinewasdepressedbytheconsciousnessofhavinglosthisheadandactedfoolishlyintheafternoon。SirCharlesdidnotpretendtoignorethesuspensetheywereallinpendingintelligenceofthejourneytoLondon;

heateanddrankandsaidnothing。Agatha,disgustedwithherselfandwithGertrude,andundecidedwhethertobedisgustedwithTrefusisortotrusthimaffectionately,followedtheexampleofherhost。AfterdinnersheaccompaniedhiminaseriesofsongsbySchubert。Thisprovedanaggravationinsteadofarelief。SirCharles,excellingintheexpressionofmelancholy,preferredsongsofthatcharacter;andashismusicalideas,likethoseofmostEnglishmen,werefoundedonwhathehadheardinchurchinhischildhood,hisstylewasoppressivelymonotonous。Agathatookthefirstexcusethatpresenteditselftoleavethepiano。SirCharlesfeltthathisperformancehadbeenafailure,andremarked,afteracoughortwo,thathehadcaughtatouchofcoldreturningfromthestation。Erskinesatonasofawithhisheaddrooping,andhispalmsjoinedandhangingdownwardbetweenhisknees。Agathastoodatthewindow,lookingatthelatesummerafterglow。Janeyawned,andpresentlybrokethesilence。

"Youlookexactlyasyouusedatschool,Agatha。IcouldalmostfancyusbackagaininNumberSix。"

Agathashookherhead。

"DoIeverlooklikethat——likemyself,asIusedtobe？"

"Never,"saidAgathaemphatically,turningandsurveyingthefigureofwhichMissCarpenterhadbeentheunripeantecedent。

"Butwhy？"saidJanequerulously。"Idon"tseewhyIshouldn"t。I

amnotsochanged。"

"Youhavebecomeanexceedinglyfinewoman,Jane,"saidAgathagravely,andthen,withoutknowingwhy,turnedherattentivegazeuponSirCharles,whoboreituneasily,andlefttheroom。A

minutelaterhereturnedwithtwobuffenvelopesinhishand。

"Atelegramforyou,MissWylie,andoneforChester。"Erskinestartedup,whitewithvaguefears。Agatha"scolorwent,andcameagainwithincreasedrichnessassheread:

"Ihavearrivedsafeandridiculouslyhappy。Readathousandthingsbetweenthelines。Iwillwritetomorrow。Goodnight。"

"Youmayreadit,"saidAgatha,handingittoJane。

"Verypretty,"saidJane。"Ashilling"sworthofattention——exactlytwentywords！Hemaywellcallhimselfaneconomist。"

SuddenlyacrowinglaughfromErskinecausedthemtoturnandstareathim。"Whatnonsense！"hesaid,blushing。"Whatafellowheis！Idon"tattachtheslightestimportancetothis。"

Agathatookacornerofhistelegramandpulleditgently。

"No,no,"hesaid,holdingittightly。"Itistooabsurd。Idon"tthinkIought——"

Agathagaveadecisivepull,andreadthemessagealoud。ItwasfromTrefusis,thus:

"IforgiveyourthoughtssinceBrandon"sreturn。Writeherto—night,andfollowyourlettertoreceiveanaffirmativeanswerinperson。Ipromisedthatyoumightrelyonme。Shelovesyou。"

"Ineverheardofsuchathinginmylife,"saidJane。"Never！"

"Heiscertainlyamostunaccountableman,"saidSirCharles。

"Iamglad,formyownsake,thatheisnotsoblackasheispainted,"saidAgatha。"Youmaybelieveeverywordofit,Mr。

Erskine。Besuretodoashetellsyou。Heisquitecertaintoberight。"

"Pooh！"saidErskine,crumplingthetelegramandthrustingitintohispocketasifitwerenotworthasecondthought。

Presentlyheslippedaway,anddidnotreappear。Whentheywereabouttoretire,SirCharlesaskedaservantwherehewas。

"Inthelibrary,SirCharles;writing。"

Theylookedsignificantlyatoneanotherandwenttobedwithoutdisturbinghim。

CHAPTERXVIII

WhenGertrudefoundherselfbesideTrefusisinthePullman,shewonderedhowshecametobetravellingwithhimagainstherresolution,ifnotagainstherwill。Inthepresenceoftwowomenscrutinizingherasiftheysuspectedherofbeingtherewithnogoodpurpose,amalepassengeradmiringheralittlefurtheroff,hermaidreadingTrefusis"snewspapersjustoutofearshot,anuninterestedcountrygentlemanlookingglumlyoutofwindow,acitymanpreoccupiedwiththe"Economist,"andapoliteladywhorefrainedfromstaringbutnotfromobserving,shefeltthatshemustnotmakeascene;yetsheknewhehadnotcometheretoholdanordinaryconversation。Herdoubtdidnotlastlong。Hebeganpromptly,andwenttothepointatonce。

"Whatdoyouthinkofthisengagementofmine？"

Thiswasmorethanshecouldbearcalmly。"Whatisittome？"shesaidindignantly。"Ihavenothingtodowithit。"

"Nothing！Youareacoldfriendtomethen。IthoughtyouoneofthesurestIpossessed。"

Shemovedasifabouttolookathim,butcheckedherself,closedherlips,andfixedhereyesonthevacantseatbeforeher。Thereproachhedeservedwasbeyondherpowerofexpression。

"Iclingtothatconvictionstill,inspiteofMissLindsay"sindifferencetomyaffairs。ButIconfessIhardlyknowhowtobringyouintosympathywithmeinthismatter。Inthefirstplace,youhaveneverbeenmarried,Ihave。Inthenext,youaremuchyoungerthanI,inmorerespectsthanthatofyears。Verylikelyhalfyourideasonthesubjectarederivedfromfictionsinwhichhappyresultsaretackedontoconditionsveryill—calculatedtoproducethem——whichinreallifehardlyeverdoproducethem。Ifourfriendshipwereachapterinanovel,whatwouldbetheupshotofit？Why,Ishouldmarryyou,oryoubreakyourheartatmytreachery。"

Gertrudemovedhereyesasifshehadsomeintentionoftakingtoflight。

"Butourrelationsbeingthoseofreallife——farsweeter,afterall——Ineverdreamedofmarryingyou,havinggainedandenjoyedyourfriendshipwithoutthateyetobusinesswhichournineteenthcenturykeepsopenevenwhilstitsleeps。You,beingequallydisinterestedinyourregardforme,donotthinkofbreakingyourheart,butyouare,Isuppose,alittlehurtatmyapparentlymeditatingandresolvingonsuchaseriousstepasmarriagewithAgathawithoutconfidingmyintentiontoyou。Andyoupunishmebytellingmethatyouhavenothingtodowithit——

thatitisnothingtoyou。ButInevermeditatedthestep,andsohadnothingtoconcealfromyou。Itwasconceivedandexecutedinlessthanaminute。Althoughmyfirstmarriagewasasillylovematchandafailure,IhavealwaysadmittedtomyselfthatI

shouldmarryagain。Abachelorisamanwhoshirksresponsibilitiesandduties;Iseekthem,andconsideritmyduty,withmymonstroussuperfluityofmeans,nottolettheindividualistsoutbreedme。Still,Iwasinnohurry,havingotherthingstooccupyme,andbeingfondofmybachelorfreedom,anddoubtfulsometimeswhetherIhadanyrighttobringmoreidlersintotheworldfortheworkerstofeed。Thencametheusualdifficultyaboutthelady。Ididnotwantahelpmeet;Icanhelpmyself。NordidIexpecttobeloveddevotedly,fortheracehasnotyetevolvedamanlovableonthoroughacquaintance;evenmyself—loveisneitherthoroughnorconstant。Iwantedagenialpartnerfordomesticbusiness,andAgathastruckmequitesuddenlyasbeingthenearestapproachtowhatIdesiredthatI

waslikelytofindinthemarriagemarket,whereitisextremelyhardtosuitoneself,andwherethelikeliestbargainsareapttobesnappedupbyothersifonehesitatestoolonginthehopeoffindingsomethingbetter。IadmireAgatha"scourageandcapability,andbelieveIshallbeabletomakeherlikeme,andthattheattachmentsobegunmayturnintoascloseaunionasiseitherhealthyornecessarybetweentwoseparateindividuals。I

maymistakehercharacter,forIdonotknowherasIknowyou,andhavescarcelyenoughfaithinherasyettotellhersuchthingsasIhavetoldyou。Still,thereisaconsolingdashofromanceinthetransaction。Agathahascharm。Doyounotthinkso？"

Gertrude"semotionwasgone。Sherepliedwithcoolscorn,"Veryromanticindeed。Sheisveryfortunate。"

Trefusishalflaughed,halfsighedwithrelieftofindhersoself—possessed。"Itsoundslike——andindeedis——theselfishcalculationofadisilludedwidower。Youwouldnotvaluesuchanoffer,orenvytherecipientofit？"

"No,"saidGertrudewithquietcontempt。

"Yetthereissomecalculationbehindeverysuchoffer。Wemarrytosatisfyourneeds,andthemorereasonableourneedsare,themorelikelyarewetogetthemsatisfied。Iseeyouaredisgustedwithme;Ifearedasmuch。Youarethesortofwomantoadmitnoexcuseformymarriageexceptlove——pureemotionallove,blindfoldingreason。"

"Ireallydonotconcernmyself——"

"Donotsayso,Gertrude。Iwatcheverystepyoutakewithanxiety;andIdonotbelieveyouareindifferenttotheworthinessofmyconduct。Believeme,loveisanoverratedpassion;itwouldbeirremediablydiscreditedbutthatyoungpeople,andtheromancerswholiveupontheirfollies,haveaperpetualinterestinrehabilitatingit。Norelationinvolvingdivideddutiesandcontinualintercoursebetweentwopeoplecansubsistpermanentlyonlovealone。Yetloveisnottobedespisedwhenitcomesfromafinenature。ThereisamanwholovesyouexactlyasyouthinkIoughttoloveAgatha——andasIdon"tloveher。"

Gertrude"semotionstirredagain,andhercolorrose。"Youhavenorighttosaythesethingsnow,"shesaid。

"WhymayInotpleadthecauseofanother？IspeakofErskine。"

Hercolorvanished,andhecontinued,"Iwantyoutomarryhim。

Whenyouaremarriedyouwillunderstandmebetter,andourfriendship,shakenjustnow,willbedeepened;forIdareassureyou,nowthatyoucannolongermisunderstandme,thatnolivingwomanisdearertomethanyou。Somuchfortheinevitableselfishreason。Erskineisapoorman,andinhiscomfortablepoverty——savethemark——liesyoursalvationfromthebasenessofmarryingforwealthandposition;abasenessofwhichwomenofyourclassstandinconstantperil。Theycourtit;youmustshunit。Themanishonorableandlovesyou;heisyoung,healthy,andsuitable。Whatmoredoyouthinktheworldhastoofferyou？"

"Muchmore,Ihope。Verymuchmore。"

"IfearthatthenamesIgivethingsarenotromanticenough。Heisapoet。Perhapshewouldbeaheroifitwerepossibleforamantobeaherointhisnineteenthcentury,whichwillbeinfamousinhistoryasatimewhenthegreatestadvancesinthepowerofmanovernatureonlyservedtosharpenhisgreedandmakefamineitsavowedminister。Erskineisatleastneitheragamblernoraslave—driveratfirsthand;ifhelivesuponplunderedlaborhecannomorehelphimselfthanI。Donotsaythatyouhopeformuchmore;buttellme,ifyoucan,whatmoreyouhaveanychanceofgetting？Mind,Idonotaskwhatmoreyoudesire;wealldesireunutterablethings。Iaskyouwhatmoreyoucanobtain！"

"IhavenotfoundMr。Erskinesuchawonderfulpersonasyouseemtothinkhim。"

"Heisonlyaman。Doyouknowanybodymorewonderful？"

"Besides,myfamilymightnotapprove。"

"Theymostcertainlywillnot。Ifyouwishtopleasethem,youmustsellyourselftosomerichvampireofthefactoriesorgreatlandlord。Ifyougiveyourselfawaytoapoorpoetwholovesyou,theirdisgustwillbeunbounded。Ifawomanwishestohonorherfatherandmothertotheirownsatisfactionnowadaysshemustdishonorherself。"

"Idonotunderstandwhyyoushouldbesoanxiousformetomarrysomeoneelse？"

"Someoneelse？"saidTrefusis,puzzled。

"Idonotmeansomeoneelse,"saidGertrudehastily,reddening。

"WhyshouldImarryatall？"

"Whydoanyofusmarry？WhydoImarry？Itisafunctioncravingfulfilment。Ifyoudonotmarrybetimesfromchoice,youwillbedriventodosolateronbytheimportunityofyoursuitorsandofyourfamily,andbywearinessofthesuspensethatprecedesadefinitesettlementofoneself。Marrygenerously。Donotthrowyourselfawayorsellyourself;giveyourselfaway。Erskinehasasmuchatstakeasyou;andyetheoffershimselffearlessly。"

Gertruderaisedherheadproudly。

"Itistrue,"continuedTrefusis,observingthegesturewithsomeanger,"thathethinksmorehighlyofyouthanyoudeserve;butyou,ontheotherhand,thinktoolowlyofhim。Whenyoumarryhimyoumustsavehimfromacrueldisenchantmentbyraisingyourselftothelevelhefanciesyouhaveattained。Thiswillcostyouaneffort,andtheeffortwilldoyougood,whetheritfailorsucceed。Asforhim,hewillfindhisjustlevelinyourestimationifyourthoughtsreachhighenoughtocomprehendhimatthatlevel。"

Gertrudemovedimpatiently。

"What！"hesaidquickly。"Aremylong—windedsacrificestothegodofreasondistasteful？IbelieveIaminvoluntarilymakingthemsobecauseIamjealousofthefellowafterall。

NeverthelessIamserious;Iwantyoutogetmarried;thoughI

shallalwayshaveasecretgrudgeagainstthemanwhomarriesyou。Agathawillsuspectmeoftreasonifyoudon"t。Erskinewillbeadisappointedmanifyoudon"t。Youwillbemoody,wretched,and——andunmarriedifyoudon"t。"

Gertrude"scheeksflushedatthewordjealous,andagainathismentionofAgatha。"AndifIdo,"shesaidbitterly,"whatthen？"

"Ifyoudo,Agatha"smindwillbeatease,Erskinewillbehappy,andyou！Youwillhavesacrificedyourself,andwillhavethehappinesswhichfollowsthatwhenitisworthilydone。"

"Itisyouwhohavesacrificedme,"shesaid,castingawayherreticence,andlookingathimforthefirsttimeduringtheconversation。

"Iknowit,"hesaid,leaningtowardsherandhalfwhisperingthewords。"Isnotrenunciationthebeginningandtheendofwisdom？

Ihavesacrificedyouratherthanprofaneourfriendshipbyaskingyoutosharemywholelifewithme。Youareunfitforthat,andIhavecommittedmyselftoanotherunion,andambeggingyoutofollowmyexample,lestweshouldtemptoneanothertoastepwhichwouldsoonprovetoyouhowtrulyItellyouthatyouareunfit。Ihaveneverallowedyoutoroamthroughallthechambersofmyconsciousness,butIkeepasanctuarythereforyoualone,andwillkeepitinviolateforyoualways。

NotevenAgathashallhavethekey,shemustbecontentwiththeotherrooms——thedrawing—room,theworking—room,thedining—room,andsoforth。Theywouldnotsuityou;youwouldnotlikethefurnitureortheguests;afteratimeyouwouldnotlikethemaster。Willyoubecontentwiththesanctuary？"Gertrudebitherlip;tearscameintohereyes。Shelookedimploringlyathim。

Hadtheybeenalone,shewouldhavethrownherselfintohisarmsandentreatedhimtodisregardeverythingexcepttheirstrongcleavingtooneanother。

"Andwillyoukeepacornerofyourheartforme？"

Sheslowlygavehimapainfullookofacquiescence。"Willyoubebrave,andsacrificeyourselftothepoormanwholovesyou？Hewillsaveyoufromuselesssolitude,orfromaworldlymarriage——Icannotbeartothinkofeitherasyourfate。"

"IdonotcareforMr。Erskine,"shesaid,hardlyabletocontrolhervoice;"butIwillmarryhimifyouwishit。"

"Idowishitearnestly,Gertrude。"

"Then,youhavemypromise,"shesaid,againwithsomebitterness。

"Butyouwillnotforgetme？Erskinewillhaveallbutthat——atenderrecollection——nothing。"

"CanIdomorethanIhavejustpromised？"

"Perhapsso;butIamtooselfishtobeabletoconceiveanythingmoregenerous。Ourrenunciationwillbindustooneanotherasourunioncouldneverhavedone。"

Theyexchangedalonglook。Thenhetookouthiswatch,andbegantospeakofthelengthoftheirjourney,nownearlyatanend。

WhentheyarrivedinLondonthefirstpersontheyrecognizedontheplatformwasMr。Jansenius。

"Ah！yougotmytelegram,Isee,"saidTrefusis。"Manythanksforcoming。WaitformewhilstIputthisladyintoacab。"

Whenthecabwasengaged,andGertrude,withhermaid,stowedwithin,hewhisperedtoherhurriedly:

"Inspiteofall,Ihavealeadenpainhere"（indicatinghisheart）。"Youhavebeenbrave,andIhavebeenwise。Donotspeaktome,butrememberthatwearefriendsalwaysanddeeply。"

Hetouchedherhand,andturnedtothecabman,directinghimwhithertodrive。Gertrudeshrankbackintoacornerofthevehicleasitdeparted。ThenTrefusis,expandinghischestlikeamanjustreleasedfromsomecrampingdrudgery,rejoinedMr。

Jansenius。

"Theregoesatruewoman,"hesaid。"Ihavebeenpersuadinghertotaketheverybeststepopentoher。Ibeganbytalkingsense,likeamanofhonor,andkeptatitforhalfanhour,butshewouldnotlistentome。ThenItalkedromanticnonsenseofthecheapestsortforfiveminutes,andsheconsentedwithtearsinhereyes。Letustakethishansom。Hi！BelsizeAvenue。Yes;yousometimeshavetoanswerawomanaccordingtoherwomanishness,justasyouhavetoanswerafoolaccordingtohisfolly。Haveyouevermadeupyourmind,Jansenius,whetherIamanunusuallyhonestman,oroneoftheworstproductsofthesocialorganizationIspendallmyenergiesinassailing——aninfernalscoundrel,inshort？"

"Nowpraydonotbeabsurd,"saidMr。Jansenius。"Iwonderatamanofyourabilitybehavingandspeakingasyousometimesdo。"

"Ihopealittleinsincerity,whenmeanttoactaschloroform——tosaveawomanfromfeelingawoundtohervanity——isexcusable。

By—the—bye,Imustsendacoupleoftelegramsfromthefirstpost—officewepass。Well,sir,IamgoingtomarryAgatha,asI

sentyouword。TherewasonlyoneothersinglemanandoneothervirgindownatBrandonBeeches,andtheyareasgoodasengaged。

Andso——

""JackshallhaveJill,Noughtshallgoill,Themanshallhavehismareagain;Andallshallbewell。""

APPENDIX

LETTERTOTHEAUTHORFROMMR。SIDNEYTREFUSIS。

MyDearSir:Ifindthatmyfriendsarenotquitesatisfiedwiththeaccountyouhavegivenoftheminyourclevernovelentitled"AnUnsocialSocialist。"YoualreadyunderstandthatIconsideritmydutytocommunicatemywholehistory,withoutreserve,towhoevermaydesiretobeguidedorwarnedbymyexperience,andthatIhavenosympathywhateverwiththespiritinwhichoneoftheladiesconcernedrecentlytoldyouthatheraffairswerenobusinessofyoursorofthepeoplewhoreadyourbooks。Whenyouaskedmypermissionsomeyearsagotomakeuseofmystory,IatoncesaidthatyouwouldbeperfectlyjustifiedingivingitthefullestpublicitywhetherIconsentedornot,providedonlythatyouwerecarefulnottofalsifyitforthesakeofartisticeffect。Now,whilstcheerfullyadmittingthatyouhavedoneyourbesttofulfilthatcondition,Icannothelpfeelingthat,inpresentingthefactsintheguiseoffiction,youhave,inspiteofyourself,showntheminafalselight。Actionsdescribedinnovelsarejudgedbyaromanticsystemofmoralsasfictitiousastheactionsthemselves。Thetraditionalpartsofthissystemare,asCervantestriedtoshow,forthechiefpart,barbarousandobsolete;themodernadditionsarelargelyduetothenovelreadersandwritersofourowncentury——mostofthemhalf—educatedwomen,rebelliouslyslavish,superstitious,sentimental,fulloftheintenseegotismfosteredbytheirstruggleforpersonalliberty,and,outsidetheirfamilies,withabsolutelynosocialsentimentexceptlove。Meanwhile,man,havingfoughtandwonhisfightforthispersonalliberty,onlytofindhimselfamoreabjectslavethanbefore,isturningwithloathingfromhisegotist"sdreamofindependencetothecollectiveinterestsofsociety,withthewelfareofwhichhenowperceiveshisownhappinesstobeinextricablyboundup。Butmaninthisphase（wouldthatallhadreachedit！）hasnotyetleisuretowriteorreadnovels。Innoveldomwomanstillsetsthemoralstandard,andtoherthemales,whoareinfullrevoltagainsttheacceptanceoftheinfatuationofapairofloversasthehighestmanifestationofthesocialinstinct,andagainsttherestrictionoftheaffectionswithinthenarrowcircleofbloodrelationship,andofthepoliticalsympathieswithinfrontiers,aretoherwhatshecallsheartlessbrutes。ThatisexactlywhatIhavebeencalledbyreadersofyournovel;andthat,indeed,isexactlywhatIam,judgedbythefictitiousandfemininestandardofmorality。HencesomecriticshavebeenableplausiblytopretendtotakethebookasasatireonSocialism。Itmay,forwhatIknow,havebeensointendedbyyou。Whetherorno,Iamsorryyoumadeanovelofmystory,fortheeffecthasbeenalmostasifyouhadmisrepresentedmefrombeginningtoend。

Atthesametime,Iacknowledgethatyouhavestatedthefacts,onthewhole,withscrupulousfairness。Youhave,indeed,flatteredmeverystronglybyrepresentingmeasconstantlythinkingofandforotherpeople,whereastherestthinkofthemselvesalone,butontheotherhandyouhavecontradictorilycalledme"unsocial,"whichiscertainlythelastadjectiveI

shouldhaveexpectedtofindintheneighborhoodofmyname。I

deny,itistrue,thatwhatisnowcalled"society"issocietyinanyrealsense,andmybestwishforitisthatitmaydissolvetoorapidlytomakeitworththewhileofthosewhoare"notinsociety"tofacilitateitsdissolutionbyviolentlypoundingitintosmallpieces。Butnoreaderof"AnUnsocialSocialist"needstobetoldhow,bytheexerciseofacertainconsideratetact（whichontheoutside,perhaps,seemstheoppositeoftact）,Ihavecontrivedtomaintaingenialtermswithmenandwomenofallclasses,eventhosewhoseopinionsandpoliticalconductseemedtomemostdangerous。

However,Idonothereproposetogofullyintomyownposition,lestIshouldseemtedious,andbeaccused,notforthefirsttime,ofapropensitytolecture——areproachwhichcomesnaturallyenoughfrompersonswhoseconceptionsarenevertoowidetobeexpressedwithinthelimitsofasixpennytelegram。I

shallconfinemyselftocorrectingafewmisapprehensionswhichhave,Iamtold,arisenamongreaderswhofrominveteratehabitcannotbringthepersonsandeventsofanovelintoanyrelationwiththeactualconditionsoflife。

Inthefirstplace,then,IdesiretosaythatMrs。Erskineisnotdeadofabrokenheart。ErskineandIandourwivesareverymuchinandoutatoneanother"shouses;andIamthereforeinapositiontodeclarethatMrs。Erskine,havingescapedbyhermarriagefromthevilecasteinwhichshewasrelativelypoorandartificiallyunhappyandill—conditioned,isnow,astheprettywifeofanart—critic,relativelyrich,aswellaspleasant,active,andinsoundhealth。Herchieftrouble,asfarasIcanjudge,istheimpossibilityofshakingoffherdistinguishedrelatives,whofurtivelyquittheirabjectsplendortodropinuponherfordinnerandalittlegenuinehumansocietymuchoftenerthanisconvenienttopoorErskine。Shehastakenapatronizingfancytoherfather,theAdmiral,whoacceptshercondescensiongratefullyasagebringsmoreandmorehometohimthefutilityofhissocialposition。Shehasalso,asmighthavebeenexpected,becomeanextremeadvocateofsocialism;andindeed,beinginagreathurryfortheneworderofthings,looksonmeasalukewarmdisciplebecauseIdonotproposetointerferewiththeslowlygrindingmillofEvolution,andeffectthechangebyonetremendousstrokefromtheunitedandawakenedpeople（forsuchshe——vainly,alas！——believestheproletariatalreadytobe。Astomyownmarriage,somehaveaskedsarcasticallywhetherIranawayagainornot;others,whetherithasbeenasuccess。Thesearefoolishquestions。MymarriagehasturnedoutmuchasIexpecteditwould。Ifindthatmywife"sviewsonthesubjectvarywiththecircumstancesunderwhichtheyareexpressed。

Ihavenowtomakeoneortwocommentsontheimpressionsconveyedbythestyleofyournarrative。Sufficientprominencehasnot,inmyopinion,beengiventotheextraordinarydestinyofmyfather,thetrueheroofanineteenthcenturyromance。I,whohaveseensocietyreluctantlyacceptingworksofgeniusfornothingfrommenofextraordinarygifts,andatthesametimehelplesslypayingmyfathermillions,andsubmittingtomonstrousmortgagesofitsfutureproduction,forafewdirectionsastothemostbusiness—likewayofmanufacturingandsellingcotton,cannotbutwonder,asIpreparemyincome—taxreturns,whethersocietywasmadtosacrificethustohimandtome。Hewasthemanwithpowertobuy,tobuild,tochoose,toendow,tositoncommitteesandadjudicateupondesigns,tomakehisowntermsforplacinganythingonasoundbusinessfooting。Hewashated,envied,sneeredatforhisloworigin,reproachedforhisignorance,yetnothingwouldpayunlesshelikedorpretendedtolikeit。Ilookroundatourbuildings,ourstatues,ourpictures,ournewspapers,ourdomesticinteriors,ourbooks,ourvehicles,ourmorals,ourmanners,ourstatutes,andourreligion,andIseehishandeverywhere,fortheywereallmadeormodifiedtopleasehim。Thosewhichdidnotpleasehimfailedcommercially:hewouldnotbuythem,orsellthem,orcountenancethem;andexceptthroughhim,as"masteroftheindustrialsituation,"nothingcouldbebought,orsold,orcountenanced。

Thelandlordcoulddonothingwithhisacresexceptletthemtohim;thecapitalist"shoardrottedanddwindleduntilitwaslenttohim;theworker"smusclesandbrainwereimpotentuntilsoldtohim。Whatking"ssonwouldnotexchangewithme——thesonoftheGreatEmployer——theMerchantPrince？Nowondertheyproposedtoimprisonmefortreasonwhen,byapplyingmyinheritedbusinesstalent,Iputforwardaplanforsecuringhisfullservicestosocietyforafewhundredayear。Butpendingtheadoptionofmyplan,donotdescribehimcontemptuouslyasavulgartradesman。Industrialkingship,theonlyrealkingshipofourcentury,washisbydivinerightofhisturnforbusiness;

andI,hisson,bidyourespectthecrownwhoserevenuesI

inherit。Ifyoudon"t,myfriend,yourbookwon"tpay。

Ihear,withsomesurprise,thatthekindnessofmyconducttoHenrietta（myfirstwife,yourecollect）hasbeencalledinquestion;why,Idonotexactlyknow。UndoubtedlyIshouldnothavemarriedher,butitiswasteoftimetocriticisethejudgmentofayoungmaninlove。SinceIdonotapproveoftheusualplanofneglectingandavoidingaspousewithoutceasingtokeepupappearances,IcannotforthelifeofmeseewhatelseI

couldhavedonethanvanishwhenIfoundoutmymistake。Itisbutashort—sightedpolicytowaitforthemendingofmattersthatareboundtogetworse。Thenotionthatherdeathwasmyfaultissheerunreasononthefaceofit;andIneednoexculpationonthatscore;butImustdisclaimthecreditofhavingborneherdeathlikeaphilosopher。Ioughttohavedoneso,butthetruthisthatIwasgreatlyaffectedatthemoment,andtheproofofitisthatIandJansenius（theonlyotherpersonwhocared）behavedinamostunbecomingfashion,asmeninvariablydowhentheyarereallyupset。Perfectproprietyatadeathisseldomachievedexceptbytheundertaker,whohastheadvantageofbeingfreefromemotion。

Yourrigmarole（ifyouwillexcusetheword）aboutthetombstonegivesquiteawrongideaofmyattitudeonthatoccasion。I

stayedawayfromthefuneralforreasonswhichare,Ishouldthink,sufficientlyobviousandnatural,butwhichyousomehowseemtohavemissed。GrantedthatmyfancyforHettywasonlyacloudofillusions,stillIcouldnot,withinafewdaysofhersuddendeath,goincoldbloodtotakepartinagrotesqueandheathenishmummeryoverhercoffin。Ishouldhavebrokenoutandstrangledsomebody。ButoneveryotherpointI——weaklyenough——sacrificedmyownfeelingstothoseofJansenius。Ilethimhavehisfuneral,thoughIobjecttofuneralsandtothepracticeofsepulture。Iconsentedtoamonument,althoughthereis,tome,nomorebitterlyridiculousoutcomeofhumanvanitythantheblocksraisedtotellposteritythatJohnSmith,orJaneJackson,lateofthisparish,wasborn,lived,anddiedworthenoughmoneytopayamasontodistinguishtheirbonesfromthoseoftheunrecordedmillions。TogratifyJanseniusIwaivedthisobjection,andonlyinterferedtosavehimfrombeingfleecedandfooledbyanunnecessaryWestEndmiddleman,who,aslikelyasnot,wouldhaveeventuallyemployedtheverymantowhomIgavethejob。Eventheepitaphwasnotmine。IfIhadhadmywayI

shouldhavewritten:"HENRIETTAJANSENIUSWASBORNONSUCHA

DATE,MARRIEDAMANNAMEDTREFUSIS,ANDDIEDONSUCHANOTHER

DATE;ANDNOWWHATDOESITMATTERWHETHERSHEDIDORNOT？"ThewholenotionconveyedinthebookthatIroderough—shodovereverybodyintheaffair,andonlyconsultedmyownfeelings,istheveryreverseofthetruth。

AstothetomfoolerydownatBrandon"s,whichendedinErskineandmyselfmarryingtheyoungladyvisitorsthere,Icanonlycongratulateyouonthedeterminationwithwhichyouhavestriventomakesomethinglikearomanceoutofsuchverythinmaterial。

IcannotsaythatIrememberitallexactlyasyouhavedescribedit;mywifedeclaresflatlythereisnotawordoftruthinitasfarassheisconcerned,andMrs。Erskinesteadilyrefusestoreadthebook。

OnonepointImustacknowledgethatyouhaveprovedyourselfamasteroftheartoffiction。WhatHettyandIsaidtooneanotherthatdaywhenshecameuponmeintheshrubberyatAltonCollegewasknownonlytoustwo。Shenevertoldittoanyone,andIsoonforgotit。Allduehonor,therefore,totheingenuitywithwhichyouhavefilledthehiatus,andshownthestateofaffairsbetweenusbyadiscourseon"surplusvalue,"cribbedfromanimperfectreportofoneofmypubliclectures,andfromthepagesofKarlMarx！IfyouwereaneconomistIshouldcondemnyouforconfusingeconomicwithethicalconsiderations,andforyouruncertaintyastothefunctionwhichmyfathergothisstartbyperforming。Butasyouareonlyanovelist,Icomplimentyouheartilyonyourcleverlittlepasticcio,adding,however,thatasanaccountofwhatactuallypassedbetweenmyselfandHetty,itisthewildestromanceeverpenned。Wickens"sboywasfarnearerthemark。

Inconclusion,allowmetoexpressmyregretthatyoucanfindnobetteremploymentforyourtalentthanthewritingofnovels。Thefirstliteraryresultofthefoundationofourindustrialsystemupontheprofitsofpiracyandslave—tradingwasShakspere。Itisourmisfortunethatthesordidmiseryandhopelesshorrorofhisviewofman"sdestinyisstillsoappropriatetoEnglishsocietythatweevento—dayregardhimasnotforanage,butforalltime。Butthepoetryofdespairwillnotoutlivedespairitself。

YournineteenthcenturynovelistsareonlythetailofShakspere。

Don"ttieyourselftoit:itisfastwrigglingintooblivion。

Iam,dearsir,yourstruly,SIDNEYTREFUSIS。