But I had the magical transition whenever one of the immortals
was mentioned in the tone of those who knew him before he had put on
immortality. Browning, for example, was a name deeply honoured by me.
`Browning, yes,' said Watts-Dunton, in the course of an afternoon,
`Browning,' and he took a sip of the steaming whisky-toddy that was a
point in our day's ritual. `I was a great diner-out in the old times.
I used to dine out every night in the week. Browning was a great
diner-out, too. We were always meeting. What a pity he went on writing
all those plays! He hadn't any gift for drama--none. I never could
understand why he took to play-writing.' He wagged his head, gazing
regretfully into the fire, and added, `Such a clever fellow, too!'
Whistler, though alive and about, was already looked to as a hierarch
by the young. Not so had he been looked to by Rossetti. The thrill of
the past was always strong in me when Watts-Dunton mentioned--seldom
without a guffaw did he mention--`Jimmy Whistler.' I think he put in
the surname because `that fellow' had not behaved well to Swinburne.
But he could not omit the nickname, because it was impossible for him
to feel the right measure of resentment against `such a funny fellow.'
As heart-full of old hates as of old loves was Watts-Dunton, and I
take it as high testimony to the charm of Whistler's quaintness that
Watts-Dunton did not hate him.
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