1891-04-24 to Clara Lanza

Autograph letter signed, New York Public Library, 662 words

[Edited for paragraph breaks, capitalization, spelling and punctuation.]

8 Kings Bench Walk, Temple

[Friday] April 24th 1891

My dear Clara Lanza

The night before I received your last letter I thought as I was getting into bed: "I shall never hear from her again." I then made a lot of philosophical reflections. I thought that perhaps it were better so. It will have to cease at one time or another, why not now? Then I proceeded to think how stupid it would seem if we were to meet after having broken off the correspondence, and so I continued until I fell asleep. Then I dreamt of you and when I awoke I received your welcome letter. So you see it was quite a little romance.

But you must never again be offended if I neglect to answer your letter or think that I do not care to hear from you. I have never written to anyone in this world half the number of letters that I have to you. The few ladies who have — well, been kind to me, have always insisted on my writing to them: “Dear Mrs. — thanks very much for your kind invitation which I accept with much pleasure.” A love affair conducted on these heartless lines is somewhat chilling. Such has been my fate and to you and to you only have I ever written anything but stereotyped phrases. Life is full of such irony...

I am glad you saw Mrs. Moulton but her descriptions of everyone are far too gushing. When I see her she will give me a very elaborate  account of you which will not please me in the least. I do not want any description; I know exactly what you are.

My book has been very well received here. Everyone likes it and it is being said that I am much better as an essayist (I am afraid that word is wrongly spelt, but you are used by this time to my bad spelling) than as a novelist. I shall disabuse them of that idea presently. There is more in me than they think.

You are mistaken, I have not written a potboiler. I have written a short book without anything “offensive” in it — “offensive” is the word the proprietor of the paper used. In every other respect I have written to please myself, But I am giving myself away. The story did not lend itself to a single coarse word so in truth I made no concession to anyone. The paper is the Lady's Pictorial, a secret for the story will not appear under my name. I will send you the paper which will interest you even if my story does not.

But what a funny woman you are. Why cannot you come to Europe? You want to come, I believe, at least you say you do. Why don't you come? You are rich and you are free — I suppose you don’t hanker after your husband's society: he has ceased to be everything in the whole world to you! But perhaps you are a devoted wife. Somehow I cannot quite imagine you as a devoted wife.

I have just written to Lovells asking them if they would care to publish an American edition of Impressions and Opinions and now I must go out and get stamps for all these letters. It is two in the morning. Somehow I never get to bed before three.

Your account of the imaginative [project] you are engaged upon amused me. I wonder how people can read such books. However I suppose it will be well paid for. If it is and you have not to sign it all will be well.

Do you still continue to receive the Hawk? I have long ago ceased to write for the vile paper. Hoping to hear from you soon. Believe me to be

Yours always

George Moore