The sun., 1899-03-12
II.

now hang loosely-ouivering at step and
breath"
Never assuredly. was love- ing moro del
icately graduated than BrowninR's. One has
continually 10 remind himself that. as yet, he
had never seen Miss Barrett His first letter
ends with yours ever faithfully" and months
elapse before he arrives at yours everywhere
and at all times yours" In q letter written on
April 10. however. there is a passage which
was meant not TO be misinterpreted. and which
must have been understood: Yesterday had
occasion to 60 your way-pass. that's. Wimpole
street. the end OF it-and do you know. did
not seem TO have leave from you to 20 down IL
yet, much less count number after num-
ber till ] came to yours-much least
than less. look up when l did come
there" In n postscript to Miss Barretts reply
we read: How glad was. By the way, to see
your letter" She was suffering just then from
the east wind. 80 1t comes to pass that Brown
ing's next letter ends as follows: DO you
know-butit's all self-hattery. beleve-still I
cannot help fancylng that the east wind does
my head harm. tool" She answers: Are
you II wonder) not a self -natterer.' but a
flatterer?" On May 8 she writes: Shall I
have courage to see you soon, I wonder I!
II you ask me must ask myself. In the
meantime. you do not know what II Is to be-a
little afraid OF Paracelsus" It is to this
browning refers when he writes on May
13: ".If YOU ask me, I must ask myself
that is. when am to see you'll will never ask
you. You do not know what shall estimate
that permission at-nor do / quite-but you do
do not Won p-know 40 much OF me as TO make
my asking worse than form-1 do not ask ;
you 10 write TO me-not directly ask. at least.
I will toll vou-I ask Won not TO see me- 40 long
as Won ara unvell and mistrustful of-No no
that IN beinp too prandl Do see me when you
can. and lat me- not be only writing myself
yours r. b" To this letter Miss Barrett re-
plies on NAV 1e: How .mistrustfulneas, y
What have said or done. who am NOT ant
To be mistrustful o., ANYBODY. and should be
a miraculous monster n I began with you.
What can have said. I saw to myself again
and apain. have made what ia yulearly
called piece of work about little or seemed
to make t. Forgive me. lam shy by nature
and by position and experience. having had
NV nerves shaken to excess. and by leading a
life ~ sucb sac,us,on hv thase thinos topether
and nv otbers besides. I have appeared shy
and unprateful to you. Only not u,istrustful
You could not mean to Judge me 80" We re-
nrodnce anotber paraoranh from the same
letter: For the rest. when YOU write
that T do not know how Won would value 6c
non vo.rself quite, You touch. very accu-
rate,v on the truth. and 40 accu-
rately IN the last clause. that to read II.
made ne smile font bien oue NAL, Certainly
Won cannot quite know or know at all.
wbether the least straw of pleasure can 90 to
Won from knowing me otherwise than on this
paper-and I. for nv part. quite know, INV
own honest jmpressIon. dear Mr. Browning.
that none ia likely IN 90 To Won There ia moth
ing to see in me: nor to hear in mel never
learnt to talk as you do in London: although
can admire that brightness OF ca rived speecb in
Mr. KENYON and others. Ifmy poetry is worth
ANYTHING to any eve. It ia the flower OF me T
have lived most and been most happy In II.
and 40 Il has all nv colors the rest OF me Ia
nothing but root. fit for the ground and the
dark And n write all this ceotism.
II ia for shame. . and because feel ashamed of
having made fuss about what ia n OF worth II:
and because Won are extrayaeant I'm caring 40
for a nermission which will he nothing tn Won
aftsrward. Not that am not touched by your
caring 40 at ALI am deeply touched now.
and presently shall understand,
Coma then There will ba truth and mnlicItv
for Won In any case. and friend" But how
and when was the visit n be madep Miss
Barrett said 81 You must choose whether vo,,
Ike best To coma with Mr., KENYON or To coma
alone--and II Won would come alone. Won must
inst tell ma ON what dav. and 7 shall
sac Won on any dAy. unless there should
be an unforasasn obstacle anv dav a,,sr
two or befor. six. And nv sister will bring
you upstairs 10 me: and W. will talk. or non,
will talk and Won will try To he indulqent and
lika me as we'll as Won can" The meetjno tool
place ON TUESDAY. NAV 81. but not until other
isttara had haan axchaboad In vch;ch aocb
bsooad the otbar not m pniarndaratond ,bjno.