story, might have perceived that for
himself. Apparently he did not, and I refrained from pointing out the
impossibility to him because, since he did not venture to say that "the
girl" did not live, I felt no concern at his indignation.
All the other stories were serialized. The "Typhoon" appeared in the
early numbers of the Pall Mall Magazine, then under the direction of the
late Mr. Halkett. It was on that occasion, too, that I saw for the first
time my conceptions rendered by an artist in another medium. Mr. Maurice
Grieffenhagen knew how to combine in his illustrations the effect of his
own most distinguished personal vision with an absolute fidelity to the
inspiration of the writer. "Amy Foster" was published in The Illustrated
London News with a fine drawing of Amy on her day out giving tea to the
children at her home, in a hat with a big feather. "To-morrow" appeared
first in the Pall Mall Magazine. Of that story I will only say that
it struck many people by its adaptability to the stage and that I was
induced to dramatize it under the title of "One Day More"; up to the
present my only effort in that direction. I may also add that each of
the four stories on their appearance in book form was picked out on
various grounds as the "best of the lot" by different critics, who
reviewed the volume with a warmth of appreciation and understanding, a
sympathetic insight and a friendliness of expression for which I cannot
be sufficiently grateful.
1919. J. C.
TYPHOON
I
Captain MacWhirr, of the steamer Nan-Shan, had a physiognomy that, in
the order of material appearances, was the exact counterpart of his
mind: it presented no marked characteristics of firmness or stupidity;
it had no pronounced characteristics whatever; it was simply ordinary,
irresponsive, and unruffled.
The only thing his aspect might have been said to suggest, at times, was
bashfulness; because he would sit, in business offices ashore, sunburnt
and smiling faintly, with downcast eyes. When he raised them, they were
perceived to be direct in their glance and of blue colour. His hair was
fair and extremely fine, clasping from temple to temple the bald dome
of his skull in a clamp as of fluffy silk. The hair of his face, on the
contrary, carroty and flaming, resembled a growth of copper wire clipped
short to the line of the lip; while, no matter how close he shaved,
fiery metallic gleams passed, when he moved his head, over the
surface o
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