confidence。〃
  CHAPTER　XX　…　EGOTISTIC　ELEMENT　AND　ITS　EFFECTS
  FROM　these　sources　now　traced　out　by　us　…　his　youthfulness　of　　spirit；　his　mystical　bias；　and　tendency　to　dream　…　symbolisms　　leading　to　disregard　of　common　feelings　…　flows　too　often　the　　indeterminateness　of　Stevenson's　work；　at　the　very　points　where　for　　direct　interest　there　should　be　decision。　　In　THE　MASTER　OF　　BALLANTRAE　this　leads　him　to　try　to　bring　the　balances　even　as　　regards　our　interest　in　the　two　brothers；　in　so　far　justifying　from　　one　point　of　view　what　Mr　Zangwill　said　in　the　quotation　we　have　　given；　or；　as　Sir　Leslie　Stephen　had　it　in　his　second　series　of　the　　STUDIES　OF　A　BIOGRAPHER：
  〃The　younger　brother　in　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE；　who　is　black…　mailed　by　the　utterly　reprobate　master；　ought　surely　to　be　　interesting　instead　of　being　simply　sullen　and　dogged。　　In　the　　later　adventures；　we　are　invited　to　forgive　him　on　the　ground　that　　his　brain　has　been　affected：　　but　the　impression　upon　me　is　that　he　　is　sacrificed　throughout　to　the　interests　of　the　story　＇or　more　　strictly　for　the　working　out　of　the　problem　as　originally　conceived　　by　the　author＇。　　The　curious　exclusion　of　women　is　natural　in　the　　purely　boyish　stories；　since　to　a　boy　woman　is　simply　an　　incumbrance　upon　reasonable　modes　of　life。　　When　in　CATRIONA　　Stevenson　introduces　a　love　story；　it　is　still　unsatisfactory；　　because　David　Balfour　is　so　much　the　undeveloped　animal　that　his　　passion　is　clumsy；　and　his　charm　for　the　girl　unintelligible。　　I　　cannot　feel；　to　say　the　truth；　that　in　any　of　these　stories　I　am　　really　among　living　human　beings　with　whom；　apart　from　their　　adventures；　I　can　feel　any　very　lively　affection　or　antipathy。〃
  In　the　EBB…TIDE　it　is；　in　this　respect；　yet　worse：　　the　three　　heroes　choke　each　other　off　all　too　literally。
  In　his　excess　of　impartiality　he　tones　down　the　points　and　lines　　that　would　give　the　attraction　of　true　individuality　to　his　　characters；　and　instead；　would　fain　have　us　contented　with　his　　liberal；　and　even　over…sympathetic　views　of　them　and　allowances　for　　them。　　But　instead　of　thus　furthering　his　object；　he　sacrifices　the　　whole　…　and　his　story　becomes；　instead　of　a　broad　and　faithful　　human　record；　really　a　curiosity　of　autobiographic　perversion；　and　　of　overweening；　if　not　extravagant　egotism　of　the　more　refined；　but　　yet　over…obtrusive　kind。
  Mr　Baildon　thus　hits　the　subjective　tendency；　out　of　which　mainly　　this　defect　…　a　serious　defect　in　view　of　interest　…　arises。
  〃That　we　can　none　of　us　be　sure　to　what　crime　we　might　not　descend；　　if　only　our　temptation　were　sufficiently　acute；　lies　at　the　root　of　　his　fondness　and　toleration　for　wrong…doers　（p。　74）。
  Thus　he　practically　declines　to　do　for　us　what　we　are　unwilling　or　　unable　to　do　for　ourselves。　　Interest　in　two　characters　in　fiction　　can　never；　in　this　artificial　way；　and　if　they　are　real　characters　　truly　conceived；　be　made　equal；　nor　can　one　element　of　claim　be　　balanced　against　another；　even　at　the　beck　of　the　greatest　artist。　　　The　common　sentiment；　as　we　have　seen；　resents　it　even　as　it　　resents　lack　of　guidance　elsewhere。　　After　all；　the　novelist　is　　bound　to　give　guidance：　　he　is　an　authority　in　his　own　world；　where　　he　is　an　autocrat　indeed；　and　can　work　out　issues　as　he　pleases；　　even　as　the　Pope　is　an　authority　in　the　Roman　Catholic　world：　　he　　abdicates　his　functions　when　he　declines　to　lead：　　we　depend　on　him　　from　the　human　point　of　view　to　guide　us　right；　according　to　the　　heart；　if　not　according　to　any　conventional　notion　or　opinion。　　　Stevenson's　pause　in　individual　presentation　in　the　desire　now　to　　raise　our　sympathy　for　the　one；　and　then　for　the　other　in　THE　　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE；　admits　us　too　far　into　Stevenson's　secret　or　　trick　of　affected　self…withdrawal　in　order　to　work　his　problem　and　　to　signify　his　theories；　to　the　loss　and　utter　confusion　of　his　　aims　from　the　point　of　common　dramatic　and　human　interest。　　It　is　　the　same　in　CATRIONA　in　much　of　the　treatment　of　James　Mohr　or　　More；　it　is　still　more　so　in　not　a　little　of　the　treatment　of　WEIR　　OF　HERMISTON　and　his　son；　though　there；　happily　for　him　and　for　us；　　there　were　the　direct　restrictions　of　known　fact　and　history；　and　　clearly　an　attempt　at　a　truer　and　broader　human　conception　　unburdened　by　theory　or　egotistic　conception。
  Everywhere　the　problem　due　to　the　desire　to　be　overjust；　so　to　say；　　emerges；　and　exactly　in　the　measure　it　does　so　the　source　of　true　　dramatic　directness　and　variety　is　lost。　　It　is　just　as　though　　Shakespeare　were　to　invent　a　chorus　to　cry　out　at　intervals　about　　Iago　…　〃a　villain；　bad　lot；　you　see；　still　there's　a　great　deal　to　　be　said　for　him　…　victim　of　inheritance；　this；　that　and　the　other；　　and　considering　everything　how　could　you　really　expect　anything　　else　now。〃　　Thackeray　was　often　weak　from　this　same　tendency　…　he　　meant　Becky　Sharp　to　be　largely　excused　by　the　reader　on　these　　grounds；　as　he　tries　to　excuse　several　others　of　his　characters；　　but　his　endeavours　in　this　way　to　gloss　over　〃wickedness〃　in　a　way；　　do　not　succeed　…　the　reader　does　not　carry　clear　in　mind　as　he　goes　　along；　the　suggestions　Thackeray　has　ineffectually　set　out　and　the　　〃healthy　hatred　of　scoundrels〃　Carlyle　talked　about　has　its　full　　play　in　spite　of　Thackeray's　suggested　excuses　and　palliations；　and　　all　in　his　own　favour；　too；　as　a　story…wright。
  Stevenson's　constant　habit　of　putting　himself　in　the　place　of　　another；　and　asking　himself　how　would　I　have　borne　myself　here　or　　there；　thus　limited　his　field　of　dramatic　interest；　where　the　　subject　should　have　been　made　pre…eminently　in　aid　of　this　effect。　　　Even　in　Long　John　Silver　we　see　it；　as　in　various　others　of　his　　characters；　though　there；　owing　to　the　demand　for　adventure；　and　　action　contributory　to　it；　the　defect　is　not　so　emphasised。　　The　　sense　as　of　a　projection　of　certain　features　of　the　writer　into　all　　and　sundry　of　his　important　characters；　thus　imparts；　if　not　an　air　　of　egotism；　then　most　certainly　a　somewhat　constrained；　if　not　　somewhat　artificial；　autobiographical　air　…　in　the　very　midst　of　　action；　questions　of　ethical　or　casuistical　character　arise；　all　　contributing　to　submerging　individual　character　and　its　dramatic　　interests　under　a　wave　of　but　half…disguised　autobiography。　　Let　　Stevenson　do　his　very　best　…　let　him　adopt　all　the　artificial　　disguises　he　may；　as　writing　narrative　in　the　first　person；　etc。；　　as　in　KIDNAPPED　and　CATRIONA；　nevertheless；　the　attentive　reader's　　mind　is　constantly　called　off　to　the　man　who　is　actually　writing　　the　story。　　It　is　as　though；　after　all；　all　the　artistic　or　　artificial　disguises　were　a　mere　mask；　as　more　than　once　Thackeray　　represented　himself；　the　mask　partially　moved　aside；　just　enough　to　　show　a　chubby；　childish　kind　of　transformed　Thackeray　face　below。　　　This　belongs；　after　all；　to　the　order　of　self…revelation　though　　under　many　disguises：　　it　is　creation　only　in　its　manner　of　work；　　not　in　its　essential　being　…　the　spirit　does　not　so　to　us　go　clean　　forth　of　itself；　it　stops　at　home；　and；　as　if　from　a　remote　and　　shadowy　cave　or　recess；　projects　its　own　colour　on　all　on　which　it　　looks。
  This　is　essentially　the　character　of　the　MYSTIC；　and　hence　the　　justification　for　this　word　as　applied　expressly　to　Stevenson　by　Mr　　Chesterton　and　others。
  〃The　inner　life　like　rings　of　light　Goes　forth　of　us；　transfiguring　all　we　see。〃
  The　effect　of　these　early　days；　with　the　peculiar　tint　due　to　the　　questionings　raised　by　religious　stress　and　strain；　persists　with　　Stevenson；　he　grows；　but　he　never　escapes　from　that　peculiar　　something　which　tells　of　childish　influences　…　of　boyish　　perversions　and　troubled　self…examinations　due　to　Shorter　Catechism　　…　any　one　who　would　view　Stevenson　without　thought　of　this；　would　　view　him　only　from　the　outside　…　see　him　merely　in　dress　and　outer　　oddities。　　Here　I　see　definite　and　clear　heredity。　　Much　as　he　　differed　from　his　worthy　father　in　many　things；　he　was　like　him　in　　this　…　the　old　man　like　the　son；　bore　on　him　the　marks　of　early　　excesses　of　wistful　self…questionings　and　painful　wrestlings　with　　religious　problems；　that　perpetuated　themselves　in　a　quaint　kind　of　　self…revelation　often　masked　by　an　assumed　self…withdrawal　or　　indifference　which　to　the　keen　eye　only　the　more　revealed　the　real　　case。　　Stevenson　never；　any　more　than　his　father；　ceased　to　be　　interested　in　the　religious　questions　for　which　Scotland　has　always　　had　a　PENCHANT　…　and　so　much　is　this　the　case　that　I　could　wish　　Professor　Sidney　Colvin　would　even　yet　attempt　to　show　the　bearing　　of　certain　things　in　that　ADDRESS　TO　THE　SCOTTISH　CLERGY　written　　when　Stevenson　was　yet　but　a　young　man；　on　all　that　he　afterwards　　said　and　did。　　It　starts　in　the　EDINBURGH　EDITION　without　any　note；　　comment；　or　explanation　whatever；　but　in　that　respect　the　EDINBURGH　　EDITION　is　not　quite　so　complete　as　it　might　have　been　made。　　In　　view　of　the　point　now　before　us；　it　is　far　more　important　than　many　　of　the　other　trifles　there　given；　and　wants　explanation　and　its　　relation　to　much　in　the　novels　brought　out　and　illustrated。　　Were　　this　adequately　done；　only　new　ground　would　be　got　for　holding　that　　Stevenson；　instead　of；　as　has　been　said；　〃seein