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DearMissLey,—YouwillnotconsideritunflatteringifIaskmyselfwhenexactlyitwasthatIhadthegoodfortunetomakeyouracquaintancefor,thoughIamwellawarethedateisnotfardistant,Iseemtohaveknownyouallmylife.Wasitreallyduringthesummerbeforelast,atNaples?(IforgetwhyyougohabituallytowinterresortsinthemiddleofAugustthereasonsyougavewereingeniousbutinconclusive—surelyitisnottoavoidyourfellow-countrymen?)IwasintheGalleryofMasterpieces,lookingatthewonderfulportrait-statueofAgrippina,whenyou,sittingbesideme,askedsomequestion.Webegantotalk—bytheway,weneverinquiredifourrespectivefamiliesweredesirableyoutookmyreputabilityforgranted—andsincethenwehavepassedagooddealoftimetogetherindeed,youhavebeenseldomabsentfrommythoughts.
Nowthatwestandatapartingofways(thephraseishackneyedandyouwouldloatheit),youmustpermitmetotellyouwhatpleasureyourregardhasgivenmeandhowthoroughlyIhaveenjoyedourintercourse,regrettingalwaysthatinevitablecircumstancesmadeitsorare.IconfessIstandinaweofyou—thisyouwillnotbelieve,foryouhaveoftenaccusedmeofflippancy(Iamnothalfsoflippantasyou)butyourthinandmockingsmile,aftersomeremarkofmine,continuallymakesmefeelthatIhavesaidafoolishthing,thanwhichinyoureyesIknowthereisnogreatercrime....Youhavetoldmethatwhenanacquaintancehasleftapleasantrecollection,oneshouldresistthetemptationtorenewitalteredtimeandsurroundingscreatenewimpressionswhichcannotrivalwiththeold,doublyidealisedbynoveltyandabsence.Themaximishard,buttherefore,perhaps,morelikelytobetrue.Still,Icannotwishthatthefuturemaybringusnothingbetterthanforgetfulness.Itiscertainthatourpathsaredifferent,IshallbeoccupiedwithotherworkandyouwillbelosttomeinthelabyrinthofItalianhotels,whereinitpleasesyou,perversely,tohideyourlights.Iseenoprospectofreunion(thissoundsquitesentimentalandyouhateeffusiveness.Myletteriscertainlyover-fullofparentheses)butIwish,notwithstandingandwithallmyheart,thatsomedayyoumayconsenttorisktheexperiment.Whatsayyou?Iam,dearMissLey,verytruly(don’tlaughatme,Ishouldliketosay—affectionately),—Yours,
W.M.
Nowthatwestandatapartingofways(thephraseishackneyedandyouwouldloatheit),youmustpermitmetotellyouwhatpleasureyourregardhasgivenmeandhowthoroughlyIhaveenjoyedourintercourse,regrettingalwaysthatinevitablecircumstancesmadeitsorare.IconfessIstandinaweofyou—thisyouwillnotbelieve,foryouhaveoftenaccusedmeofflippancy(Iamnothalfsoflippantasyou)butyourthinandmockingsmile,aftersomeremarkofmine,continuallymakesmefeelthatIhavesaidafoolishthing,thanwhichinyoureyesIknowthereisnogreatercrime....Youhavetoldmethatwhenanacquaintancehasleftapleasantrecollection,oneshouldresistthetemptationtorenewitalteredtimeandsurroundingscreatenewimpressionswhichcannotrivalwiththeold,doublyidealisedbynoveltyandabsence.Themaximishard,buttherefore,perhaps,morelikelytobetrue.Still,Icannotwishthatthefuturemaybringusnothingbetterthanforgetfulness.Itiscertainthatourpathsaredifferent,IshallbeoccupiedwithotherworkandyouwillbelosttomeinthelabyrinthofItalianhotels,whereinitpleasesyou,perversely,tohideyourlights.Iseenoprospectofreunion(thissoundsquitesentimentalandyouhateeffusiveness.Myletteriscertainlyover-fullofparentheses)butIwish,notwithstandingandwithallmyheart,thatsomedayyoumayconsenttorisktheexperiment.Whatsayyou?Iam,dearMissLey,verytruly(don’tlaughatme,Ishouldliketosay—affectionately),—Yours,
W.M.