the days of my life

第2部分 (第2/7頁)

　for　that　man　they　have　no　use。　That　such　a　person　should　bine　gifts　of　imagination　with　forensic　aptitude　and　sound　legal　knowledge　is　to　them　a　thing　past　all　belief。

A　page　or　so　back　I　said　that　my　experience　might　possibly　be　of　use　to　others；　and　already　the　suggestion　seems　in　the　way　of　proof。　If　what　I　write　should　prevent　even　one　young　barrister　who　hopes　to　make　a　mark　in　his　profession；　from　being　beguiled　into　the　fatal　paths　of　authorship；　I　shall　not　have　laboured　in　vain。

Next；　I　have　never　been　able　to　gratify　a　very　earnest　ambition　of　my　younger　years；　namely；　to　enter　Parliament　and　shine　as　a　statesman。　Once　I　tried：　it　was　at　the　1895　election；　and　I　almost　carried　one　of　the　most　difficult　seats　in　England。　But　almost　is　not　quite；　and　the　awful　expense　attendant　upon　contesting　a　seat　in　Parliament　（in　a　county　division　it　costs；　or　used　to　cost；　over　2000　pounds）　showed　me　clearly　that；　unless　they　happen　to　be　Labour　members；　such　a　career　is　only　open　to　rich　men。　Also　I　came　to　understand　that　it　would　be　practically　impossible　for　me　both　to　earn　a　living　by　the　writing　of　books　and　to　plunge　eagerly　into　Parliamentary　work；　as　I　know　well　that　I　should　have　done。　Even　if　I　could　have　found　the　time　by　writing　in　the　mornings　—　which；　where　imaginative　effort　is　concerned；　has　always　been　distasteful　to　me　—　my　health　would　never　have　borne　the　double　strain。

So　that　dream　had　to　be　abandoned；　for　which　I　am　sorry。　Indeed；　a　legislative　career　is　about　the　only　one　of　which　the　doors　are　not　shut　to　the　writer　of　fiction；　as　is　proved　by　many　instances；　notably　that　of　Disraeli。

Thus　it　cames　about　that　on　these　lines　I　have　failed　to　make　any　mark。　Fate　has　shut　those　doors　in　my　face。　The　truth　is　that　“man　kno