The Problem of 'Edwin Drood'

by W. Robertson Nicoll.

PREFACE

The first serious discussion of _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_ came from the pen of the astronomer, Mr. R. A. Proctor. Mr. Proctor wrote various essays on the subject. One appears in his _Leisure Readings_, included in Messrs. Longmans' 'Silver Library.' A second was published in 1887, and ent.i.tled _Watched by the Dead_. There were, I believe, in addition some periodical articles by Mr. Proctor; these I have not seen. Mr.

Proctor modified certain positions in his earlier essay included in _Leisure Readings_, so that the paper must not be taken as representative of his final views. Whatever may be thought of Mr. Proctor's theory, all will admit that he devoted much care and ingenuity to the study, and that he had an exceptional knowledge of d.i.c.kens's books.

In 1905 Mr. c.u.ming Walters published his _Clues to d.i.c.kens's Mystery of Edwin Drood_. The _Athenaeum_ expressed its conviction 'that in these hundred pages or so he has found the clue, the main secret which had baffled all previous investigators, and so has secured permanent a.s.sociation with one of the immortals.' Mr. c.u.ming Walters's book was immediately followed by Mr. Andrew Lang's _The Puzzle of d.i.c.kens's Last Plot_. In this Mr. Lang adopted with modifications the theory of Mr.

Proctor. The subject continued to interest this lamented author to the end of his life. He wrote many letters and articles on the theme, coming ultimately to the conclusion that d.i.c.kens did not know himself how his story was to be ended.

In 1910 Professor Henry Jackson of Cambridge published a volume, _About Edwin Drood_. It is a work of sterling merit, and particularly valuable for its study of the chronology of the story. Dr. Jackson was the first to examine the ma.n.u.script in a scholarly way, and to give some of the chief results. His conclusions are in the main those of Mr. c.u.ming Walters, but they are supported by fresh arguments and criticisms.

There have been many articles on the subject, particularly in that excellent periodical, the _d.i.c.kensian_, edited by Mr. B. W. Matz. Of this magazine it may be said that every number adds something to our knowledge of the great author.

By far the most successful attempt to finish the book is that of Gillan Vase, which was published in 1878. It is the only continuation worth looking at.

Among the best of the periodical contributions are those by Dr. M. R.

James of Cambridge, published in the _Academy_, and in the _Cambridge Review_. The papers of Mr. G. F. Gadd in the _d.i.c.kensian_ deserve special praise. In the _Bookman_ Mr. B. W. Matz, whose knowledge of d.i.c.kens is unsurpa.s.sed, has declared for the view that Edwin Drood was murdered, but has not committed himself to any theory of Datchery.

I should not have been justified in publishing this volume if I had been able to add no new material. But I venture to think it will be found that while I have freely used the arguments and the discoveries of previous investigators, I have made a considerable addition to the stores. In particular, I have brought out the fact that Forster declined to accept d.i.c.kens's erasures in the later proofs, and I have printed the pa.s.sages which d.i.c.kens meant to have omitted. The effect of the omissions is also traced to a certain extent, though not fully. The more one studies them, the more significant they appear.

I have printed completely for the first time the Notes and Plans for the novel. I have also published some notes on the ma.n.u.script based on a careful examination. These notes are not by any means complete, but they include perhaps the more important facts. Through the kindness of Miss Bessie Hatton and Mr. B. W. Matz I have been able to give an account of the unacted play by Charles d.i.c.kens the younger and Joseph Hatton on _Edwin Drood_.

I have also put together for the first time the external evidence on the subject. It is particularly important that this evidence should be read in full, and much of it is now inaccessible to the general reader. In the discussion of the main problems it will, I believe, be found that certain new arguments have been brought forward. In particular I ask attention to the quotations from the Bancroft _Memoirs_ and from _No Name_. I have also given certain studies of the methods of d.i.c.kens which may be useful.

I have to acknowledge with warm thanks the kindness of Mr. Hugh Thomson in sending me his reading of the Wrapper.

It will thus, I hope, be found that the study is a contribution to the subject, and not a mere repet.i.tion or paraphrase of what has been advanced.

I have made no attempt at summarising the novel. No one can possibly attack the problem with any hope of success who has not read the book over and over again. A hasty perusal will serve no purpose. The fragment deserves and repays the very closest study.

There are questions that have been raised and arguments that have been stated which are not mentioned here. This is not because of ignorance.

I have read, I believe, practically all that has been published on the theme. What I have omitted is matter that seems to me trivial or irrelevant.

While fully believing in the accuracy of the conclusions I have reached, I desire to avoid dogmatism. There is always the possibility that a writer may be diverted from his purpose. He may come to difficulties he cannot surmount. The fact that scholarly students of d.i.c.kens have come to different conclusions is a fact to be taken into account.

My thanks are due to Lord Rosebery for kindly accepting the dedication of the volume. Lord Rosebery is, however, in no way responsible for my arguments or my conclusions.

In preparing this study I have had the constant a.s.sistance and counsel of my accomplished colleague, Miss Jane T. Stoddart. Miss Stoddart's accuracy and learning and acuteness have been of the greatest use to me, and there is scarcely a chapter in the volume which does not owe much to her.

Mr. J. H. Ingram has most kindly furnished me with information about Poe.

Mr. Clement Shorter has allowed me to use his very valuable collection of newspaper articles.

Mr. B. W. Matz has very courteously answered some inquiries, and he has permitted me to use his valuable bibliography.

Messrs. Chapman & Hall have kindly given me permission to use the Wrapper, etc.

Mr. c.u.ming Walters has been so kind as to read the proofs.

If there are those who think that the problem does not deserve consideration, I am not careful to answer them. It is a problem which will be discussed as long as d.i.c.kens is read. Those who believe that d.i.c.kens is the greatest humorist and one of the greatest novelists in English literature, are proud to make any contribution, however insignificant, to the understanding of his works. Mr. Gladstone, in his 'Essay on the Place of Homer in Education,' mentions the tradition of Dorotheus, who spent the whole of his life in endeavouring to elucidate the meaning of a single word in Homer. Without fully justifying this use of time, we may agree in Mr. Gladstone's general conclusion 'that no exertion spent upon any of the cla.s.sics of the world, and attended with any amount of real result, is thrown away.'

BAY TREE LODGE, HAMPSTEAD, _Sept._ 1912.

INTRODUCTION

The three mysteries of _Edwin Drood_ are thus stated by Mr. c.u.ming Walters:

'The first mystery, partly solved by d.i.c.kens himself, is the fate of Edwin Drood. Was he murdered?-if so, how and by whom, and where was his body hidden? If not, how did he escape, and what became of him, and did he reappear?

'The second mystery is-Who was Mr. Datchery, the "stranger who appeared in Cloisterham" after Drood's disappearance?

'The third mystery is-Who was the old opium woman, called the Princess Puffer, and why did she pursue John Jasper?'

It is with the first two of these mysteries that this book is concerned.

In the concluding chapter some hints are offered as to the third, but in my opinion there are no sufficient materials for any definite answer.

The problem before us is to decide with one half of d.i.c.kens's book in our possession what the course of the other half was likely to be.

It is important to lay stress upon this. An able reviewer in the _Athenaeum_, 1st April 1911, says: 'The book is still in its infancy. Its predecessor, _Our Mutual Friend_, attained to some sixty-seven chapters, _Great Expectations_ to fifty-nine, _Bleak House_ to sixty-six. There is no strain on probability in supposing that _Edwin Drood_ might, in happier circ.u.mstances, have reached something like these proportions.'

The fact is that the book was to be completed in twelve numbers, and we have six.

In the first part of this volume I have dealt with the materials for a solution.

In the second part, I have used the materials and the internal evidence of the book, and attempted an answer to the questions.

PART I.-THE MATERIALS FOR A SOLUTION

CHAPTER I-THE TEXT OF EDWIN DROOD

The materials for the solution of the 'Edwin Drood' problems must first of all be found in the text of the unfinished volume. Hitherto it has not been observed that the book we have is not precisely what it was when d.i.c.kens left it. Three parts had been issued by d.i.c.kens himself. After his death the remaining three parts were issued by John Forster. d.i.c.kens had corrected his proofs up to and including chapter xxi. The succeeding chapters xxii. and xxiii. are untouched. I discovered to my great surprise on examining the proofs in the Forster Collection that Forster had in every case ignored d.i.c.kens's erasures, and had replaced all the omitted pa.s.sages in the text. Thus it happens that we do not read the book as d.i.c.kens intended us to read it. We have pa.s.sages which on consideration he decided not to print. It is unnecessary to criticise the action of Forster, but it seems clear that he should at least have given warning to the reader. I now print the pa.s.sages erased by d.i.c.kens and restored by Forster.

SENTENCES AND PARTS OF SENTENCES ERASED BY d.i.c.kENS