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I write to you a great many more letters than you write to me— though whether they all reach you or not, Heaven knows. I daresay you will not be without a certain desire to know how our affairs get on — I will give you therefore a notion as briefly as may be. 5
"Acton Bell" has published another book — it is in 3 vols but I do not like it quite as well as "Agnes Grey" the subject not being such as the author had pleasure in handling — it has been praised by some reviews and blamed by others — as yet only £25 have been realized for the copyright — and as "Acton Bell's" publisher is a shuffling scamp — I 10 expect no more.
About 2 months since, I had a letter from my publishers, Smith & Elder — saying that "Jane Eyre" had had a great run in America — and a publisher there had consequently bid high for the first sheets of the next work by "Currer Bell" which they had promised to let him have. 15
Presently after came a second missive from Smith & Elder — all in alarm, suspicion ["s" del] and wrath — their American correspondent had written to them complaining that the first sheets of a new work by "Currer Bell" had been already received and not by their house but by a rival publisher — and asking the meaning of such false play — it inclosed an 20 extract from a letter from Mr Newby (A & E. Bell's publisher) affirming
This was a lie, as Newby had been told repeatedly that they were 25 the productions of 3 different authors — but the fact was he wanted to make a dishonest move in the game — to make the Public & "the Trade" believe that he had got hold of "Currer Bell" & thus cheat Smith & Elder by securing the American publishers' bid.
The upshot of it was that on the very day I received Smith & Elder's 30 letter — Anne & I packed up a small box, sent it down to Keighley — set out ourselves after tea — walked through a thunderstorm to the station, got to Leeds and whirled up by the Night train to London — with the view of proving our separate identity to Smith & Elder and confronting Newby with his lie — 35
We arrived at the Chapter Coffee House — (our old place Polly — we did not well know where else to go) about eight o'clock in the morning — We washed ourselves — had some breakfast — sat a few minutes and then set of [sic] in queer, inward excitement, to 65. Cornhill. Neither Mr Smith nor Mr Williams knew we were coming they had never seen 40 us — they did not know whether we were men or women — but had always written to us as men.
We found 65 — to be a large bookseller's shop in a street almost as bustling as the Strand — we went in — walked up to the counter — there were a great many young men & lads here and there — I said to the first 45 I could accost — "May I see Mr Smith —?" he hesitated, looked a little surprised — but went to fetch him — We sat down and waited awhile — looking a [sic] some books on the counter — publications of theirs well known to us — of many of which they had sent us copies as presents. At last somebody came up and said dubiously "Did you wish to see me, 50 Madam?" "Is it Mr Smith?" I said looking up through my spectacles at a young, tall, gentlemanly man "It is." I then put his own letter into his hand directed to "Currer Bell." He looked at it — then at me — again — yet again. I laughed at his queer perplexity — A recognition took place — I gave my real name — "Miss Brontë —" We were both hurried from the 55 shop into a little back room — ceiled with a great skylight and only large enough to hold 3 chairs and a desk — and there explanations were rapidly gone into — Mr Newby being anathematized, I fear with undue vehemence. Smith hurried out and returned quickly with one whom he introduced as Mr Williams — a pale, mild, stooping man of fifty — very much like a 60 faded Tom Dixon — Another recognition — a long, nervous shaking of hands — then followed talk — talk — talk — Mr Williams being silent — Mr Smith loquacious —
"Allow me to introduce you to my mother & sisters — How long do you stay in London? You must make the most of the time — to-night you 65
Williams understood me directly — Smith comprehended by slower degrees — he did not like the quiet plan — he would have liked some excitement, eclat etc.
He then urged us to meet a literary party incognito — he would introduce us a [sic] "country cousins" The desire to see some of the person- 80 ages whose names he mentioned — kindled in me very strongly — but when I found in further examination that he could not venture to ask such men as Thackeray etc. at a short notice, without giving them a hint as to whom they were to meet, I declined even this — I felt it would have ended in our being made a show of — a thing I have ever resolved to avoid. 85
Then he said we must come and stay at his house — but we were not prepared for a long stay & declined this also — as we took leave — he told us he should bring his sisters to call on us that evening — We returned to our Inn — and I paid for the excitement of the interview by a thundering head-ache & harrassing [sic] sickness — towards evening as I got no 90 ["t" del] better & expected the Smiths to call — I took a strong dose of sal volatile — it roused me a little — still I was in grievous bodily case when they were announced — they came in two elegant, young ladies in full dress — prepared for the Opera — Smith himself in evening costume white gloves etc. a distinguished, handsome fellow enough — We had by no means 95 understood that it was settled that we were to go to the Opera — and were not ready — Moreover we had no fine, elegant dresses either with us or in the world. However on brief rumination, I though [sic] it would be wise to make no objections — I put my head-ache in my pocket — we attired ourselves in the plain — high - made, country garments we possessed 100 — and went with them to their carriage — where we found Williams likewise in full dress. They must have thought us queer, quizzical looking beings — especially me with my spectacles — I smiled inwardly at the contrast which must have been apparent between me and Mr Smith as I walked with him up the crimson carpeted staircase of the Opera 105 House and stood amongst a brilliant throng at the box-door which was not yet open. Fine ladies & gentlemen glanced at us with a slight, graceful superciliousness quite warranted by the circumstances — Still I felt pleasurably excited — in spite of head-ache sickness & conscious clownishness,
The Performance was Rosini's [sic] opera of the "Barber of Seville —" very brilliant though I fancy there are things I should like better — We got home after one o'clock — We had never been in bed the night before — had been in constant excitement for 24 hours — you may imagine we were tired. 115
The next day — (Sunday) Mr Williams came early to take us to church — he was so quiet but so sincere in his attentions — one could not but have a most friendly leaning towards him — he has a nervous hesitation in speech and a difficulty in finding appropriate language in which to express himself — which throws him into the background in conversation — 120 but I had been his correspondent — and therefore knew with what intelligence he could write — so that I was not in danger of underrating him. In the afternoon — Mr Smith came in his carriage with his Mother — ["and took" del] to take us to his house to dine — I should mention by the way that neither his mother nor his sisters knew who we were — and their 125 strange perplexity would have been ludicrous if one had dared to laugh — To be brought down to a part of the city into whose obscure, narrow streets they said they had never penetrated before — to an old, dark strange-looking Inn — to take up in their fine carriage a couple of odd-looking country-women — to see their elegant, handsome son & brother 130 treating with scrupulous politeness these insignificant spinsters must have puzzled them thoroughly Mr Smith's residence is at Bayswater, 6 miles from Cornhill — a very fine place — the rooms — the drawing-room especially looked splendid to us. There was no company — only his mother his two grown up sisters — and his brother a lad of 12-13 and a 135 little sister — the youngest of the family — very like himself — they are all dark-eyed — dark-haired and have clear & pale faces — the Mother is a portly, handsome woman of her age — and all the children more or less well-looking — one of the daughters decidedly pretty — except that the expression of her countenance — is not equal to the beauty of her 140 features. We had a fine dinner — which neither Anne nor I had appetite to eat — and were glad when it was over — I always feel under awkward constraint at table. Dining-out would be a hideous bore to me.
Mr Smith made himself very pleasant — he is a firm, intelligent man of business though so young — bent on getting on — and I think desirous 145 to make his way by fair, honourable means — he is enterprising — but likewise cool & cautious. Mr Smith is practical man — I wish Mr Williams were more so — but he is altogether of the contemplative, theorizing order — Mr Williams lives too much in abstractions —
On Monday we went to the Exhibition of the Royal Academy — 150 the National Gallery, dined again at Mr Smith's — then went home with Mr Williams to tea — and saw his ["comparatively" inserted above] humble but neat residence and his fine family of eight children — his wife was ill.
On Tuesday morning we left London — laden with books Mr Smith had given us — and got safely home. A more jaded wretch than I looked when I returned, it would be difficult to conceive — I was thin when I 160 went but was meagre indeed when I returned, my face looked grey & very old — with strange, deep lines plough [sic] in it — my eyes stared unnaturally — I was weak and yet restless. In a while however these bad effects of excitement went off and I regained my normal condition — We saw Newby but of him more another t<ime> Good-bye God bless you 165 write CB.
- 2 to you] you SLW
- 2 to me] me SLW
- 7 as well] so well SLW
- 11 expect] expected SL
- 14 the next] a new SLW
- 16 second] another SLW
- 16-17 —all in alarm, suspicion ["s" del] and wrath] om. SLW
- 21 A & E.] A. and C. L
- 24 writer] author LW
- 25 lie] lie SLW
- 27 game—to make] game to make SLW
- 32 thunderstorm] snowstorm SLW
- 35 lie] lie SLW
- 47 —but went to fetch him—] om. SLW
- 50-1 somebody came. . . Madam?"] we were shown up to Mr Smith. SLW
- 52 gentlemanly] om. SLW
- 53-4 —then at me—again—yet again] and then at me again. "Where did you get this?" he said SLW
- 54 queer] om. SLW
- 55-7 both hurried. . . and a desk—] in a small room ceiled with a great skylight, SLW
- 58 fear] fear, SLW
- 64-85 Allow me. . . . resolved to avoid] om. SLW
- 86 Then he] Mr Smith SLW
- 87 leave] our leave SLW
- 94 Smith] Mr Smith SLW
- 95 a distinguished, handsome fellow enough—] om. SLW
- 97 either] om. SLW
- 101 Williams] Mr Williams SLW
- 101-2 likewise in full dress] om. SLW
- 108-9 pleasurably] pleasantly SLW
- 113 before—] before, and SLW
- 116 to take] and took SLW
- 122 underrating] undervaluing SLW
- 124-132 —I should mention. . . . puzzled them thoroughly] om. SLW
- 133 —a very fine place—] om. SLW
- 137 &] om. SLW
- 139-141 —except that. . . features] om. SLW
- 142 under] under an SLW
- 143 a hideous bore] hideous SLW
- 144-147 —he is a firm. . . . cautious] om. SLW
- 147 practical] a practical SLW
- 149 lives too much in abstractions] has too many abstractions SLW
- 153 —his wife was ill.] om. SLW
- 154 sung] sang SLW
- 155 amongst] among SLW
- 156-7 —For herself. . . enough—] om. SLW
- 158 Mr Smith] which Mr Smith SLW
- 162 plough] The word ends thus at RH margin. SLW supply 'ed'.
- 163 these] the SLW
- 165 Newby] Mr Newby SLW
- 165 t<ime> time SLW
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