"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。