“It is very true I have been, and am in danger, of a
pecuniary loss, and probably a very large one, which, in the uncertainty, I
look at as to the full extent, being the manly way of calculating such matters,
since one may be better, but can hardly be worse. I can’t say I feel
overjoyed at losing a large sum of hard-earned money in a most unexpected
manner, for all men, considered Constable’s people secure as the Bank; yet, as I have
obtained an arrangement of payment convenient for every body concerned, and
easy for myself, I cannot say that I care much about the matter. Some
economical restrictions I will make; and it happened oddly that they were such
as Lady Scott and myself had almost
determined upon without this compulsion. Abbotsford will henceforth be our only
establishment; and during the time I must be in town, I will take my bed at the
Albyn Club. We shall also break off the rather excessive hospitality to which
we were exposed, and no longer stand host and hostess to all that do pilgrimage
to Melrose. Then I give up an expensive farm, which I always hated, and turn
all my odds and ends into cash. I do not reckon much on my literary exertions—I
mean in proportion to former success—because popular taste may fluctuate. But
with a moderate degree of the favour which I have always had, my time my own,
and my
| 220 | LIFE OF SIR WALTER SCOTT. |
“In these circumstances, I should be unjust and ungrateful to ask or accept the pity of my friends. I for one, do not see there is much occasion for making moan about it. My womankind will be the greater sufferers,—yet even they look cheerily forward; and, for myself, the blowing off my hat in a stormy day has given me more uneasiness.
“I envy your Brighton party, and your fine weather.
When I was at Abbotsford the mercury was down at six or seven in the morning
more than once. I am hammering away at a bit of a story from the old affair of
the diablerie at Woodstock in the Long Parliament times.
I don’t like it much. I am obliged to hamper my fanatics greatly too much
to make them effective; but I make the sacrifice on principle; so, perhaps, I
shall deserve good success in other parts of the work. You will be surprised
when I tell you that I have written a volume in exactly fifteen days. To be
sure, I permitted no interruptions. But then I took exercise, and for ten days
of the fifteen attended the Court of Session from two to four hours every day.
This is nothing, however, to writing Ivanhoe when I had the actual cramp in my stomach; but I have no
idea of these things preventing a man from doing what he has a mind. My love to
all the party at Brighton—fireside party I had almost said, but you scorn my
words—seaside party then be it. Lady Scott
and Anne join in kindest love. I must
close my letter, for one of the consequences of our misfortunes is, that we
dine every day at half-past four o’clock; which premature hour arises, I
suppose, from sorrow being hungry as well as thirsty. One most laughable part
of our tragic comedy was, that every friend in the world came formally, just as
they do here
| LETTER TO LADY DAVY. | 221 |
“We heard an unpleasant report that your nephew was ill. I am glad to see from your letter it is only the lady, and in the right way; and I hope, Scottice loquens, she will be worse before she is better. This mistake is something like the Irish blunder in Faulkner’s Journal, “For his Grace the Duchess of Devonshire was safely delivered—read her Grace the Duke of Devonshire, &c.”—Always yours, affectionately,
“P.S. Will you do me a favour? Set fire to the Chinese stables; and if it embrace the whole of the Pavilion, it will rid me of a great eye-sore.”
