Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

FRIENDLY HOSTILITY. 91
From the first, however, and even when Blackwood
had reaUsed his hope of "getting a book or two to
throw in one's way," it will be seen that the great
London publisher sometimes treated his partner de
haut en has, in a manner not agreeable to a man of
Blackwood's high spirit. Murray either wrapt him-
self in silence, not answering the frequent questions
to be asked or mutual interests to be discussed, which
are necessary in every business arrangement—or made
brief communications by the hand of a clerk, or replied
in a few hurried and offhand words to the long
epistles and elaborate explanations of the other. At
other times he was touchy and ready to take offence,
especially when, by reason of delay on his part, matters
had to be settled without him. A number of bicker-
ings, to which we can scarcely give a more dignified
name, went on in the background, even while there
was the closest union of interests. But no purpose
can be served in raking up these old quarrels. They
went on with a sort of friendly hostility at bottom,
breaking out now and then into fire and flame, some-
times giving rise to affecting reconciliations, some-
times to periods of estrangement, as so many connec-
tions, business and otherwise, unfortunately do.
As for Scott, for whose spotless reputation everybody
is concerned, my own opinion is that his venture
with these two new publishers was tentative, and it
was quite on the cards that they might have secured
him, but for this irritating check : while on the other
hand it was also quite natural that he should have
found the burden of James Ballantyne's mediator-
ship unbearable, and felt that, without an additional
disclosure of his secret, which, whether wisely or