the days of my life

第41部分 (第1/7頁)

ished　under　the　name　of　“Jess。”　The　manuscript　of　“Jess”　does　not　state　the　date　of　its　mencement；　but　at　the　end　appears　the　date　of　December　31；　1885；　showing　that　it　was　finished　on　that　day。　This　book　I　wrote　for　the　most　part　in　the　chambers；　at　1　Elm　Court；　that　I　shared　with　Mr。　Kerr；　the　son　of　missioner　Kerr；　upon　an　old　teak　table　with　a　leather　top。　This　table；　which　I　bought　of　a　second…hand　dealer；　had　evidently　begun　life　in　some　ship　where　the　cabins　were　low；　for　it　was　so　short　in　the　legs　that；　until　they　were　heightened　in　some　way；　it　used　to　make　my　back　ache　to　write　at　it；　also　it　has　all　the　solidity　mon　to　ship’s　furniture。　Now　it　is　used　for　trimming　lamps　in　the　basement　of　Ditchingham　House。

Whenever　I　was　not　engaged　in　Court；　where　I　hung　about　a　great　deal；　and　even　for　a　while　reported　Divorce　and　Probate　cases　for　The　Times　on　behalf　of　that　journal’s　regular　reporter；　an　old　barrister　name　Kelly；　when　he　was　absent　on　a　holiday；　I　sat　at　this　table　in　the　dingy　room　at　1　Elm　Court　and　toiled　at　“Jess。”　Sometimes　this　was　no　easy　task；　since　young　barristers　of　my　acquaintance；　with　time　upon　their　hands；　would　enter　and　scoff　at　my　literary　labours。　In　the　evening　I　placed　what　I　had　written　in　a　kind　of　American　cloth　music…roll；　which　either　my　wife　or　Miss　Barber　made　for　me；　and　carried　it　home　to　West　Kensington；　so　that　I　might　continue　my　work　after　dinner。　In　fact；　there　were　two　of　these　rolls。　The　first　of　them　I　lost　on　my　homeward　way；　I　know　not　how　or　where。　It　contained　about　a　dozen　foolscap　sheets　of　closely　written　manuscript　of　one　of　the　most　important　parts　of　the　book；　that　which；　amongst　other　things；　describes　the　character　of　Frank　Muller　and　how；　after　he　had　attempted　the　murder　of　Neal　and　Jess　in