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dent manner and speech made us believe； perhaps for the first time； in victory。 and besides； if he did denounce； and in my case he certainly did； what we held in secret reverence； he never failed to associate it with things； or persons； that did not move us to reverence。
once i found him just returned from some art congress in liverpool or in manchester。 the salvation armyism of art； he called it； & gave a grotesque description of some city councillor he had found admiring turner。 henley； who hated all that ruskin praised； thereupon derided turner； and finding the city councillor the next day on the other side of the gallery； admiring some pre？raphaelite there； derided that pre？raphaelite。 the third day henley discovered the poor man on a chair in the middle of the room； staring disconsolately upon the floor。 he terrified us also； and certainly i did not dare； and i think none of us dared； to speak our admiration for book or picture he condemned； but he made us feel always our importance； and no man among us could do good work； or show the promise of it； and lack his praise。
i can remember meeting of a sunday night charles whibley； kenneth grahame； author of the golden age；
barry pain； now a well known novelist； r。 a。 m。 stevenson； art critic and a famous talker； george wyndham； later on a cabinet minister and irish chief secretary； and oscar wilde； who was some eight years or ten older than the rest。 but faces and names are vague to me and； while faces that i met but once may rise clearly before me； a face met on many a sunday has perhaps vanished。 kipling came sometimes； i think； but i never met him； and stepniak； the nihilist； whom i knew well elsewhere but not there； said i cannot go more than once a year； it is too exhausting。 henley got the best out of us all； because he had made us accept him as our judge and we knew that his judgment could neither sleep； nor be softened； nor changed； nor turned aside。 when i think of him； the antithesis that is the foundation of human nature being ever in my sight； i see his crippled legs as though he were some vulcan perpetually forging swords for other men to use； and certainly i always thought of c。。。； a fine classical scholar； a pale and seemingly gentle man； as our chief swordsman and bravo。
when henley founded his weekly newspaper； first the scots； afterwards the national observer； this young man wrote articles and reviews notorious for savage wit； and years afterwards when the national observer
was dead； henley dying & our cavern of outlaws empty； i met him in paris very sad and i think very poor。
nobody will employ me now； he said。 your master is gone； i answered； and you are like the spear in an old irish story that had to be kept dipped in poppy？ juice that it might not go about killing people on its own account。 i wrote my first good lyrics and tolerable essays for the national obsever and as i always signed my work could go my own road in some measure。 henley often revised my lyrics； crossing out a line or a stanza and writing in one of his own； and i was forted by my belief that he also re？wrote kipling then in the first flood of popularity。 at first； indeed； i was ashamed of being re？written and thought that others were not； and only began investigation when the editorial characteristics？？epigrams； archaisms and all？？appeared in the article upon paris fashions and in that upon opium by an egyptian pasha。 i was not pelled to full conformity for verse is plainly stubborn； and in prose； that i might avoid unacceptable opinions； i wrote nothing but ghost or fairy stories； picked up from my mother； or some pilot at rosses point； and henley saw that i must needs mix a palette fitted to my subject matter。 but if he had changed every has into hath i would have let him； for had not we sunned ourselves in his generosity？ my young men out？dome and they write better than i； he wrote in some letter praising charles whibleys work； and to another friend with a copy of my man who dreamed of fairyland： see what a fine thing has been written by one of my lads。
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Four YearsVI
＊＝
my first meeting with oscar wilde was an astonishment。 i never before heard a man talking with perfect sentences； as if he had written them all over night with labour and yet all spontaneous。 there was present that night at henleys； by right of propinquity or of accident； a man full of the secret spite of dullness； who interrupted from time to time and always to check or disorder thought； and i noticed with what mastery he was foiled and thrown。 i noticed； too； that the impression of artificiality that i think all wildes listeners have recorded； came from the perfect rounding of the sentences and from the deliberation that made it possible。
that very impression helped him as the effect of metre； or of the antithetical prose of the seventeenth century； which is itself a true metre； helps a writer； for he could pass without incongruity from some unforeseen swift stroke of wit to elaborate reverie。 i heard him say a few nights later： give me 〃the winters tale；〃 〃daffodils that e before the swallow dare〃 but not 〃king lear。〃 what is 〃king lear〃 but poor life staggering in the fog？ and the slow cadence； modulated with so great precision； sounded natural to my ears。 that first night he praised walter paters essays on the renaissance： it is my golden book； i never travel anywhere without it； but it is the very flower of decadence。 the last trumpet should have sounded the moment it was written。 but；
said the dull man； would you not have given us time to read it？ oh no； was the retort； there would have been plenty of time afterwards？？in either world。 i think he seemed to us； baffled as we were by youth； or by infirmity； a triumphant figure； and to some of us a figure from another age； an audacious italian fifteenth century figure。 a few weeks before i had heard one of my fathers friends； an official in a publishing firm that had employed both wilde and henley as editors； blaming henley who was no use except under control and praising wilde； so indolent but such a genius； and now the firm became the topic of our talk。 how often do you go to the office？ said henley。 i used to go three times a week； said wilde； for an hour a day but i have since struck off one of the days。 my god； said henley； i went five times a week for five hours a day and when i wanted to strike off a day they had a special mittee meeting。 furthermore； was wildes answer； i never answered their letters。 i have known men e to london full of bright prospects and seen them plete wrecks in a few months through a habit of answering letters。 he too knew how to keep our elders in their place； and his method was plainly the more successful for henley had been dismissed。 no he is not an aesthete； henley mented later； being somewhat embarrassed by wildes pre？raphaelite entanglement。
one soon finds that he is a scholar and a gentleman。 and when i dined with wilde a few days afterwards he began at once； i had to strain every nerve to equal that man at all； and i was too loyal to speak my thought： you & not he said all the brilliant things。 he like the rest of us had felt the strain of an intensity that seemed to hold life at the point of drama。 he had said； on that first meeting； the basis of literary friendship is mixing the poisoned bowl； and for a few weeks henley and he became close friends till； the astonishment of their meeting over； diversity of character and ambition pushed them apart； and； with half the cavern helping； henley began mixing the poisoned bowl for wilde。 yet henley never wholly lost that first admiration； for after wildes downfall he said to me： why did he do it？ i told my lads to attack him and yet we might havefought under his banner。
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Four YearsVII
？小｜说网
it became the custom； both at henleys and at bedford park； to say that r。 a。 m。 stevenson； who frequented both circles； was the better talker。 wilde had been trussed up like a turkey by undergraduates； dragged up and down a hill； his champagne emptied into the ice tub； hooted in the streets of various towns and i think stoned； and no newspaper named him but in scorn； his manner had hardened to meet opposition and at times he allowed one to