  Title: The Westcotes Author: Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch Language: English E-text prepared by Guus van Baalen Transcriber's Notes: 1. Words which may seem to be transcriber's typos, or otherwise suspect, but which are reproduced faithfully (archaic spellings, printer's typos—sometimes I couldn't tell): Ch. I: befel, undigged 2. Diphthongs, given as single characters in the printed copy, are transcribed as two separate characters. THE WESTCOTESby ARTHUR THOMAS QUILLER-COUCHDEDICATIONMY DEAR HENRY JAMES,A spinster, having borrowed a man's hat to decorate her front hall, excused herself on the ground that the house 'wanted a something.' By inscribing your name above this little story I please myself at the risk of helping the reader to discover not only that it wants a something, but precisely what that something is. It wants—to confess and have done with it—all the penetrating subtleties of insight, all the delicacies of interpretation, you would have brought to Dorothea's aid, if for a moment I may suppose her worth your championing. So I invoke your name to stand before my endeavour like a figure outside the brackets in an algebraical sum, to make all the difference by multiplying the meaning contained. But your consent gives me another opportunity even more warmly desired. And I think that you, too, will take less pleasure in discovering how excellent your genius appears to one who nevertheless finds it a mystery in operation, than in learning that he has not missed to admire, at least, and with a sense almost of personal loyalty, the sustained and sustaining pride in good workmanship by which you have set a common example to all who practise, however diversely, the art in which we acknowledge you a master. A. T. QUILLER-COUCHOctober 25th, 1901 |
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