Darwin’s Variations 167 
_Timagine that Mr. Darwin, casting about for a substantial 
difference, and being unable to find one, committed the 
Gladstonian blunder of mistaking an unsubstantial for 
a substantial one. It was doubtless because he suspected 
it that he never took us fully into his confidence, nor in all 
probability allowed even to himself how deeply he dis- 
trusted it. Much, however, as he disliked the accumula- 
tion of accidental variations, he disliked not claiming the 
theory of descent with modification still more; and if he 
was to claim this, accidental his variations had got to be. 
Accidental they accordingly were, but in as obscure and 
perfunctory a fashion as Mr. Darwin could make them 
consistently with their being to hand as accidental varia- 
tions should later developments make this convenient. 
Under these circumstances it was hardly to be expected 
that Mr. Darwin should help the reader to follow the work- 
ings of his mind—nor, again, that a book the writer of 
which was hampered as I have supposed should prove clear 
and easy reading. 
The attitude of Mr. Darwin’s mind, whatever it may 
have been in regard to the theory of descent with modifica- 
tion generally, goes so far to explain his attitude in respect 
to the theory of natural selection (which, it cannot be too 
often repeated, is only one of the conditions of existence 
advanced as the main means of modification by the earlier 
evolutionists), that it is worth while to settle the question 
once for all whether Mr. Darwin did or did not believe him- 
self justified in claiming the theory of descent as an original 
discovery of his own. This will be a task of some little 
length, and may perhaps try the reader’s patience, as it 
assuredly tried mine; if, however, he will read the two 
following chapters, he will probably be able to make up 
his mind upon much that will otherwise, if he thinks about 
it at all, continue to puzzle him. 
