I do not like the gentleman-animal. He is a poor beast. His glory is to belong to a distinguished herd. He prefers to himself a Human Cliche of manners, catch-phrases, fashionable slang, herd-voice (when he Baas the well-instructed can instantly tell that he comes from a _very_ distinguished herd; or from a quite good herd; or from a respectable herd; as the case may be). When he hears a similar Baa he pricks his ears up, and Baas more loudly and lispingly himself, to show his label and that he is there, he prefers a code which is, most of it, imbecile in its inductions, impracticable, and not holding water. Human weakness, human _need_—is the worse for a gloss. You do not agree? I have that feeling very strongly. But I have amplified too much, and will return to what I wished immediately to say.= The best that most people can see is the amiable-comic, the comfortable, the advantages of the gentleman-animal. I, who see beauty and energy so much that they bulk and outweigh a thousand times these cowardly contentments and _pis-allers_, why should you expect me to admit society as anything but an organized poltrooney and forgetfulness? The gentleman-animal has his points. And it is just when he is successful that we should dislike him most. For he is the most cunning effort of society to close its eyes and clog its ears. He is the great sham reconciliation and justifying of ease. I must leave you at this, my dear woman, as I have to correct proofs wanted tomorrow and twice written for.= In glancing through what I have written in this letter, I find things that, were I writing for any but a familiar ear, would require restating. There is an implication, for instance, that enthusiastic herd-man could, if he would, produce some excellent ego in place of his social self, and that it is this immoral waste of fine material that I object to= whereas of course he is radically boring and obnoxious. He is a _perfect metis_, the gentleman-animal, having crossed consummately his human and inhuman qualities. I like to see things side by side, perfectly dual and unmixed. Neither side of a man is responsible for the other. But you know my ideas on these subjects and can dialogue for me as I have for you. I wish, Lydia, you were here, with your body rasping under mine now. We could beat out this argument to another tune. Send me more of Villerant’s Aunt Sally’s, or anybody else’s, to bowl at. I like these immemorial phizzes stuck up within easy reach. I have bags full of cocoa-nuts! As far as I can see I shall be stopping over here at least another six weeks. The war continues! I was sorry to hear Grant had been blown up. It sounds like a practical joke. I hope Pampas will take care of himself.= Much occurs here of the strangest. The Russian factor is quite curious in this game. It is really, much more than the other countries, a theatre to itself, carrying on a play of quite a different description. Kiss Yorke for me. All love to yourself.