was talking about and should have shown you he did, as foreign critics
like to show it) were to say to you: 'He's the one, in this country, whom
they consider the most perfect, isn't he?' Is it success to be the
occasion of a young Englishman's having to stammer as you would have to
stammer at such a moment for old England? No, no; success is to have
made people wriggle to another tune. Do try it!"

Paul continued all gravely to glow. "Try what?"

"Try to do some really good work."

"Oh I want to, heaven knows!"

"Well, you can't do it without sacrifices--don't believe that for a
moment," the Master said. "I've made none. I've had everything. In
other words I've missed everything."

"You've had the full rich masculine human general life, with all the
responsibilities and duties and burdens and sorrows and joys--all the
domestic and social initiations and complications. They must be
immensely suggestive, immensely amusing," Paul anxiously submitted.

"Amusing?"

"For a strong man--yes."

"They've given me subjects without number, if that's what you mean; but
they've taken away at the same time the power to use them. I've touched
a thousand things, but which one of them have I turned into gold? The
artist has to do only with that--he knows nothing of any baser metal.