ly disappointed with the criticism, but the sales
encouraged him and the stir the book made and he was as determined as
ever to succeed. What was to be done next?

FOOTNOTES:

[5] His own words in "De Profundis."

[6] In her "Recollections" Miss Terry says that she was more impressed
by the genius of Oscar Wilde and of Whistler than by that of any other
men.

CHAPTER V

The first round in the battle with Fate was inconclusive. Oscar Wilde
had managed to get known and talked about and had kept his head above
water for a couple of years while learning something about life and
more about himself. On the other hand he had spent almost all his
patrimony, had run into some debt besides; yet seemed as far as ever
from earning a decent living. The outlook was disquieting.

Even as a young man Oscar had a very considerable understanding of
life. He could not make his way as a journalist, the English did not
care for his poetry; but there was still the lecture-platform. In his
heart he knew that he could talk better than he wrote.

He got his brother to announce boldly in _The World_ that owing to the
"astonishing success of his 'Poems' Mr. Oscar Wilde had been invited
to lecture in America."

The invitation was imaginary; but Oscar had resolved to break into
this new field; there was money in it, he felt sure.

Besides he had another string to his bow. When the first rumblings of
the social storm in Russia reached England, our aristocratic
republican seized occasion by the forelock and wrote a play on the
Nihilist Conspiracy called _Vera_. This drama was impregnated with
popular English liberal sentiment. With the interest of actuality
about it _Vera_ was published in September, 1880; but fell flat.

The assassination of the Tsar Alexander, however, in March, 1881; the
way Oscar's poems published in June of that year were taken up by Miss
Terry and puffed in the press, induced Mrs. Bernard Beere, an actress
of some merit, to accept _Vera_ for the stage. It was suddenly
announced that _Vera_ would be put on by Mrs. Bernard Beere at The
Adelphi in December, '81; but the author had to be content with this
advertisement. December came and went and _Vera_ was not staged. It
seemed probable to Oscar that it might be accepted in America; at any
rate, there could be no harm in trying: he sailed for New York.

It was on the cards that he might succeed in his new adventure. The
taste of America in letters and art i