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第42部分（第2页）

Of　the　scores　of　letters　which　I　received　about　“She”　from　correspondents　personally　unknown　to　me；　the　following　is　perhaps　one　of　the　most　curious。　It　is　written　from　the　Electric…Technical　Factory　of　Messrs。　Ganz　and　Co。；　Budapest。

Dear　Sir；　—　In　explanation　of　the　following　lines　please　to　learn　that　during　the　course　of　the　last　few　weeks；　we；　whose　signatures　you　will　find　adjoined；　have　had　the　pleasure　of　reading　your　celebrated　novel；　“She。”

Despite　our　various　tastes；　characters　and　nationalities　we　have；　one　and　all；　taken　a　most　lively　interest　in　your　story。

It　appears　that　each　of　us　found　in　it　a　something　which　appealed　to　his　sympathies；　to　one　the　ethnographical　and　topographical　descriptions　may　have　given　satisfaction；　to　another　the　frequently　occurring　remembrances　of　athletic　sports；　in　a　third；　perhaps；　sweet　memories　of　bygone　classical　studies　have　been　awakened。

The　last　time　we　dined　in　pany　it　was　decided　that　we　should　proffer　to　you；　in　humble　acknowledgment　of　our　respect　and　thanks；　our　united　most　hearty　good　wishes　for　your　happiness；　contentment　and　general　well…being；　with　the　hope　that　you　may　be　spared　to　enrich　your　fellow…creatures　and　ing　generations　with　the　fair　products　of　your　fertile　mind。

We　beg　you；　dear　sir；　to　believe　us；

Yours　faithfully；

A。　Damek；　Crawford；　C。　Horstek；

German；　Scotchman；　Englishman；

S。　Jordan；　E。　Poesetzlin；　L。　Stark；

Frenchman；　Swiss；　Hungarian；

Electrical　Engineers。

This；　I　think；　was　a　very　satisfactory　letter　for　an　author　to　receive。

Chapter　11　EGYPT

Leave　for　Egypt　—　Reincarnation　—　Boulak　Museum　—　Excavations　—　Removal　of　mummies　—　Nofertari　—　Adventure　in　tomb　—　Mr。　Brownrigg’s　danger　on　Pyramid　—　Cyprus　—　Article　on　“Fiction”　—　“Jess”　—　Home　by　long　sea　—　“Cleopatra”　—　“Colonel　Quaritch；　V。C。”　—　Press　attacks　—　Publishing　arrangements　—　Lang’s　advice　—　“Cleopatra”　dedicated　to　H。　R。　H。‘s　mother　—　Her　death　—　Savile　Club　—　Thomas　Hardy　—　H。　R。　H。　weary　of　writing　novels　—　Lang’s　encouragement　—　Allan　Quatermain　and　Umslopogaas　—　Winston　Churchill’s　approval　—　Letters　from　W。　E。　Henley　—　“Maiwa’s　Revenge”　—　“Beatrice”　—　Collaboration　with　Lang　in　“The　World’s　Desire”　—　Letters　from　Lang　—　“The　Song　of　the　Bow。”

After　“She”　had　been　fairly　launched；　and　the　proofs　of　“Jess”　passed　for　press；　I　started；　in　January　1887；　on　a　journey　to　Egypt。　From　a　boy　ancient　Egypt　had　fascinated　me；　and　I　had　read　everything　concerning　it　on　which　I　could　lay　hands。　Now　I　was　possessed　by　a　great　desire　to　see　it　for　myself；　and　to　write　a　romance　on　the　subject　of　“Cleopatra；”　a　sufficiently　ambitious　project。

A　friend　of　mine　who　is　a　mystic　of　the　first　water　amused　me　very　much　not　long　ago　by　forwarding　to　me　a　list　of　my　previous　incarnations；　or　rather　of　three　of　them；　which　had　been　revealed　to　him　in　some　mysterious　way。　Two　of　these　were　Egyptian；　one　as　a　noble　in　the　time　of　Pepi　II　who　lived　somewhere　about　4000　B。C。；　and　the　second　as　one　of　the　minor　Pharaohs。　In　the　third；　according　to　him；　I　was　a　Norseman　of　the　seventh　century；　who　was　one　of　the　first　to　sail　to　the　Nile；　whence　he　returned　but　to　die　in　sight　of　his　old　home。　After　that；　saith　the　prophet；　I　slumbered　for　twelve　hundred　years　until　my　present　life。

I　cannot　say　that　I　have　been　converted　to　my　friend’s　perfectly　sincere　beliefs；　since　the　reincarnation　business　seems　to　me　to　be　quite　insusceptible　of　proof。　If　it　could　be　proved；　how　much　more　interesting　it　would　make　our　lives。　But　that；　I　think；　will　never　happen；　even　if　it　be　true　that　we　return　again　to　these　glimpses　of　the　moon；　which；　like　everything　else；　is　possible。

Still　it　is　a　fact　that　some　men　have　a　strong　affinity　for　certain　lands　and　periods　of　history；　which；　of　course；　may　be　explained　by　the　circumstance　that　their　direct　ancestors　dwelt　in　those　lands　and　at　those　periods。　Thus　I　love　the　Norse　people　of　the　saga　and　presaga　times。　But　then　I　have　good　reason　to　believe　that　my　forefathers　were　Danes。　I　am；　however；　unable　to　trace　any　Egyptian　ancestor　—　if　such　existed　at　all　it　is　too　long　ago。

However　these　things　may　be；　with　the　old　Norse　and　the　old　Egyptians　I　am　at　home。　I　can　enter　into　their　thoughts　and　feelings；　I　can　even　understand　their　theologies。　I　have　a　respect　for　Thor　and　Odin；　I　venerate　Isis；　and　always　feel　inclined　to　bow　to　the　moon！

Whatever　the　reason；　I　seem　to　myself　to　understand　the　Norse　folk　of　anywhere　about　800　A。D。　and　the　Egyptians　from　Menes　down　to　the　Ptolemaic　period；　much　better　than　I　understand　the　people　of　the　age　in　which　I　live。　They　are　more　familiar　to　me。　They　interest　me　much　more。　For　instance；　I　positively　loathe　the　Georgian　period；　about　which　I　can　never　even　bring　myself　to　read。　On　the　other　hand；　I　have　the　greatest　sympathy　with　savages；　Zulus　for　instance；　with　whom　I　always　got　on　extremely　well。　Perhaps　my　mystical　friend　has　left　a　savage　incarnation　out　of　his　list。

For　these　reasons　I　know　well　that　I　could　never　be　a　success　as　a　modern　novelist。　I　can　see　the　whole　thing；　it　goes　on　under　my　eyes；　and　as　a　magistrate　and　in　other　ways　I　am　continually　in　touch　with　it。　I　could　write　of　it　also　if　I　could　bring　myself　to　the　task。　I　would　undertake　to　produce　a　naturalistic　novel　that　would　sell　—　why　should　I　not　do　so　with　my　experience？　But　the　subject　bores　me　too　much。　The　naturalism　I　would　not　mind；　but　if　it　is　to　be　truthful　it　is　impossible　and；　to　say　the　least；　unedifying。　The　petty　social　conditions　are　what　bore　me。　I　know　this　is　not　right；　but　it　is　a　failing　in　myself；　since　under　all　conditions　human　nature　is　the　same　and　the　true　artist　should　be　able　to　present　it　with　equal　power。　But　we　are　as　we　are　made。　Even　the　great　Shakespeare；　I　observe；　sought　distant　scenes　and　far…off　events　for　his　tragedies；　seeking；　I　presume；　to　escape　the　trammels　of　his　time。

To　return　from　this　dissertation。　I　went　to　Egypt　seeking　knowledge　and　a　holiday。　The　knoe　of　it；　for　when　the　mind　is　open　and　desirous；　it　absorbs　things　as　a　dry　sponge　does　water。　I　had　an　introduction　to　Brugsch　Bey；　who　was　then；　I　think；　the　head　of　the　Boulak　Museum。　He　took　me　round　that　heavenly　place。　He　showed　me　the　mummies　of　Seti；　Rameses；　and　the　rest；　and　oh！　with　what　veneration　did　I　look　upon　them。　He　told　me；　trembling　with　emotion；　of　the　discovery；　then　recent；　of　the　great　Deir…el…Behari　cache　of　Pharaohs　and　their　treasures。　He　said　when　he　got　to　the　bottom　of　that　well　and　entered　the　long　passage　where　for　tens　of　centuries　had　slept　the　mighty　dead；　huddled　together　there　to　save　them　from　the　wicked　hands　of　robbers　or　enemies；　and　by　the　light　of　torches　had　read　a　few　of　the　names　upon　the　coffins；　that　he　nearly　fainted　with　joy；　as　well　he　might。　Also　he　described　to　me　how；　when　the　royal　bodies　were　borne　from　this　resting…place　and　shipped　for　conveyance