332 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XI II 



The first of the following set refers to a lively 

 piece of nonsense which Huxley wrote just before 

 going to stay with the Eomanes' at Oxford on the 

 occasion of the Romanes Lecture.^ After Professor 

 Romanes' death, Mrs. Romanes asked leave to print 

 it in the biography of her husband. In the other 

 letters, Huxley gives his consent, but, with his 

 usual care for the less experienced, tried to prevent 

 any malicious perversion of the fun which might 

 put her in a false position. 



To Mrs. Romanes 



HODESLEA, Sept. 20, 1894. 



I do not think I can possibly have any objection to 

 your using my letter if you think it worth while — but 

 perhaps you had better let me look at it, for I remember 

 nothing about it — and my letters to people whom I 

 trust are sometimes more plain-spoken than polite about 

 things and men. You know at first there was some talk 

 of my possibly supplying Gladstone's place in case of his 

 failure, and I would not be sure of my poUteness in that 

 quarter ! 



Pray do not suppose that your former letter was other 

 than deeply interesting and touching to me. I had 

 more than half a mind to reply to it, but hesitated with 

 a man's horror of touching a wound lie cannot heal. 



And then I got a bad bout of " Jiver," from which I 

 am just picking up. 



HoDESLEA, Sept. 22, 1894. 



It's rather a rollicking epistle, I must say, but as my 

 wife (who sends her love) says she thinks she is the only 

 person who has a right to complain (and she does not), I 

 do not know why it should not be published. 



» See p. 289. 



