t_ clue out of the maze, and say how perfect, absolutely
perfect, are those three or four pages in the 'Vision' which present
the Poets--a line, a few words, and the man there,--one twang of the
bow and the arrowhead in the white--Shelley's 'white ideal all
statue-blind' is--perfect,--how can I coin words? And dear deaf old
Hesiod--and--all, all are perfect, perfect! But 'the Moon's regality
will hear no praise'--well then, will she hear blame? Can it be you,
my own you past putting away, _you_ are a schismatic and frequenter of
Independent Dissenting Chapels? And you confess this to _me_--whose
father and mother went this morning to the very Independent Chapel
where they took me, all those years back, to be baptised--and where
they heard, this morning, a sermon preached by the very minister who
officiated on that other occasion! Now will you be particularly
encouraged by this successful instance to bring forward any other
point of disunion between us that may occur to you? Please do not--for
so sure as you begin proving that there is a gulf fixed between us, so
sure shall I end proving that ... Anne Radcliffe avert it!... that you
are just my sister: not that I am much frightened, but there are such
surprises in novels!--Blame the next,--yes, now this _is_ to be real
blame!--And I meant to call your attention to it before. Why, why, do
you blot out, in that unutterably provoking manner, whole lines, not
to say words, in your letters--(and in the criticism on the
'Duchess')--if it is a fact that you have a second thought, does it
cease to be as genuine a fact, that first thought you please to
efface? Why give a thing and take a thing? Is there no significance in
putting on record that your first impression was to a certain effect
and your next to a certain other, perhaps completely opposite one? If
any proceeding of yours could go near to deserve that harsh word
'impertinent' which you have twice, in speech and writing, been
pleased to apply to your observations on me; certainly _this_ does go
as near as can be--as there is but one step to take from Southampton
pier to New York quay, for travellers Westward. Now will you lay this
to heart and perpend--lest in my righteous indignation I [some words
effaced here]! For my own health--it improves, thank you! And I shall
go abroad all in good time, never fear. For my 'Bells,' Mr. Chorley
tells me there is no use in the world of printing them before November
at earliest--and b