372 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XV 



On the 21st he writes home about the steps he 

 had begun to take with respect to giving up part of 

 his official work. 



I have had a long letter from Donnelly. He had 

 told Lord Carlingford of my plans, and incloses a letter 

 from Lord Carlingford to him, trusting I will not hastily 

 decide, and with some pretty phrases about " support and 

 honour " I give to the School Donnelly is very anxious 

 I should hold on to the School, if only as Dean, and 

 wants me in any case to take two months' holiday at 

 Christmas. Of course he looks on the R.S. as the root of 

 all evil. Foster per contra looks on the School as the 

 deuce, but would have me stick by the Royal Society like 

 grim death. 



The only moral obligation that weighs with me is 

 that which I feel under, to deal fairly by Donnelly and 

 the School You must not argue against this, as rightly 

 or wrongly I am certain that if I deserted the School 

 hastily, or if I did not do all that I can to requite 

 Donnelly for the plucky way in which he has stood by 

 it and me for the last dozen years, I should never shake 

 off the feeling that I had behaved badly. And as I am 

 much given to brooding over my misdeeds, I don't want 

 you to increase the number of my hell-hounds. You 

 must help me in this . . and if I am Quixotic, play 

 Sancho for the nonce. 



