Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/157



''pass "once bitter, twice shining." She says that it "is a really worthy phrase and will be of use to us all!"''

''I have been reading a lot of French lately, in those very cheap, double-columned, illustrated editions. It is perfectly marvellous to see how happily the French draughtsmen succeed in catching their authors' ideas, whereas one may safely say that "our" British illustrators do not catch them once in ten times. Why is this? I am not sure that a certain rough, unwashed Bohemianism is not at the bottom of it, achieving results which are beyond that prim, priggish mode of life which nowadays governs the artists on this side. I may be wrong: I certainly couldn't elaborate my theory; on the other hand, I may be perfectly right''

In an earlier letter I had asked why he sought a refuge where he could see the sea but where the sea could not see him. The answer is given in a postscript:

I might turn giddy if the sea saw me; but it would look very ugly if I saw it.

By way of revenge I reminded Teixeira that the gender of virus was neuter:

Alas!, he replies, 27. 11. 20.