DOI article:
James, Henry: The next time
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27805#0031
By Henry James 27
a consequence of an interview I had had with him that afternoon,
and of a subtle argument I had brought to bear, Mrs. Highmore’s
pearl of publishers had agreed to put forth the new book as a
serial. He was to “ run ” it in his magazine, and he was to pay
ever so much more for the privilege. I produced a fine gasp
which presently found a more articulate relief, but poor Limbert’s
voice failed him once for all (he knew he was to walk away with
me) and it was some one else who asked me in what my subtle
argument had resided. I forget what florid description I then
gave of it : to-day I have no reason not to confess that it had
resided in the simple plea that the book was exquisite. I had said :
“ Come, my dear friend, be original ; just risk it for that! ” My
dear friend seemed to rise to the chance, and I followed up my
advantage, permitting him honestly no illusion as to the quality
of the work. He clutched interrogatively at two or three
attenuations, but I dashed them aside, leaving him face to face
with the formidable truth. It was just a pure gem : was he the
man not to flinch ? His danger appeared to have acted upon
him as the anaconda acts upon the rabbit; fascinated and paralysed,
he had been engulfed in the long pink throat. When, a week
before, at my request, Limbert had let me possess for a day the
complete manuscript, beautifully copied out by Maud Stannace?
I had flushed with indignation at its having to be said of the author
of such pages that he hadn’t the common means to marry. I had
taken the field, in a great glow, to repair this scandal, and it was
therefore quite directly my fault if, three months later, when
The Major Key began to run, Mrs. Stannace was driven to the
Wall. She had made a condition of a fixed income ; and at last
a fixed income was achieved.
She had to recognise it, and after much prostration among the
photographs she recognised it to the extent of accepting some of
the
a consequence of an interview I had had with him that afternoon,
and of a subtle argument I had brought to bear, Mrs. Highmore’s
pearl of publishers had agreed to put forth the new book as a
serial. He was to “ run ” it in his magazine, and he was to pay
ever so much more for the privilege. I produced a fine gasp
which presently found a more articulate relief, but poor Limbert’s
voice failed him once for all (he knew he was to walk away with
me) and it was some one else who asked me in what my subtle
argument had resided. I forget what florid description I then
gave of it : to-day I have no reason not to confess that it had
resided in the simple plea that the book was exquisite. I had said :
“ Come, my dear friend, be original ; just risk it for that! ” My
dear friend seemed to rise to the chance, and I followed up my
advantage, permitting him honestly no illusion as to the quality
of the work. He clutched interrogatively at two or three
attenuations, but I dashed them aside, leaving him face to face
with the formidable truth. It was just a pure gem : was he the
man not to flinch ? His danger appeared to have acted upon
him as the anaconda acts upon the rabbit; fascinated and paralysed,
he had been engulfed in the long pink throat. When, a week
before, at my request, Limbert had let me possess for a day the
complete manuscript, beautifully copied out by Maud Stannace?
I had flushed with indignation at its having to be said of the author
of such pages that he hadn’t the common means to marry. I had
taken the field, in a great glow, to repair this scandal, and it was
therefore quite directly my fault if, three months later, when
The Major Key began to run, Mrs. Stannace was driven to the
Wall. She had made a condition of a fixed income ; and at last
a fixed income was achieved.
She had to recognise it, and after much prostration among the
photographs she recognised it to the extent of accepting some of
the