Hammond sent for me today and asked me seriously if I would help
him in writing a book on Fox, sharing work, fame and profits. I told
him that I had no special talent for research: he replied that he had
no talent for literary form. I then said that I would be delighted to
give him such assistance as I honestly thought valuable enough for
him to split his profits for, that I thought I could give him such
assistance in the matter of picturesqueness and plan of idea, more
especially as Fox was a great hero of mine and the philosophy of his
life involves the whole philosophy of the Revolution and of the love
of mankind. We arranged that we would make a preliminary examination
of the Fox record and then decide. . . .*

[* This book was never written nor even, I think, begun.]

Three more letters, two to Frances, one to his mother, complete the
outline of this eventful period. He was now determined to get married
quickly. For the first time and entirely without rancour, he realised
the inevitable competition in the world of journalism. The struggle
for success meant men fighting one another. Other journalists were
fighting him; but truly enough, though with a rare dispassionateness,
he realised that this meant a need for Daily bread in others similar
to his own.

11, Warwick Gardens, W.
(postmark: Feb. 19, 1901)

. . . I hope that in your own beautiful kindness you will be
indulgent just at this time if I only write rough letters or
postcards. I am for the first time in my life, thoroughly _worried_,
and I find it a rather exciting and not entirely unpleasant
sensation. But everything depends just now, not only on my sticking
hard to work and doing a lot of my very best, but on my thinking
about it, keeping wide awake to the turn of the market, being ready
to do things not in half a week, but in half an hour; getting the
feelings and tendencies of other men and generally living in work. I
am going to see Lehmann tomorrow and many things may come of it. I
cannot express to you what it is to feel the grip of the great wheel
of real life on you for the first time. For the first time I know
what is meant by the word "enemies"--men who deliberately dislike you
and oppose your career--and the funny thing is that I don't dislike
them at all myself. Poor devils--very likely they want to be married
in June too.

I am a Socialist, but I love