" It is easy to sneer at such a sentiment as this,
but the spiritual was very real with Lady Burton. All these minor
considerations, therefore, weighed with her in addition to the
greatest of them all. On the other hand, there came to her the thought
that it was the first time she had ever gone against her husband's
wishes, and now that he was dead they were doubly sacred to her. The
mental struggle which she underwent was a terrible one: it was a
conflict which is not given to certain lower natures to know, and
not knowing it, they can neither understand nor sympathize. I make
bold to say that the sacrifice which she made, and the motives which
prompted her to make it, will stand to her honour as long as her name
is remembered.
There remain two other considerations: the first is--Why did she make
this act known to the world at all? Surely it would have been better
from every point of view to have veiled it in absolute secrecy. She
has given the answer in her own words: "I was obliged to confess this
because there were fifteen hundred men expecting the book, and I did not
quite know how to get at them; also I wanted to avoid unpleasant hints by
telling the truth." In other words, there was a large number of Burton's
supporters, persons who had subscribed to _The Arabian Nights_, and
all his literary friends, with whom he was in constant communication,
who knew that he was working at _The Scented Garden_, and were eagerly
expecting it.
Pages:
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375