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The second thing about which I have to speak to you is with regard to the conditions, circumstances, and place of our meeting when my term of imprisonment is over. From extracts from your letter to Robbie written in the early summer of last year I understand that you have sealed up in two packages my letters and my presents to you—such at least as remain of either—and are anxious to hand them personally to me. It is, of course, necessary that they should be given up. You did not understand why I wrote beautiful letters to you, any more than you understood why I gave you beautiful presents. You failed to see that the former were not meant to be published, any more than the later were meant to be pawned. Besides, they belong to a side of life that is long over, to a friendship that somehow you were unable to appreciate at its proper value. You must look back with wonder now to the days when you had my entire life in your hands. I too look back to them with wonder, and with other, with far different, emotions[164a].
第二件我要同你说的事，是关于我刑满出狱后同你见面的条件、细节安排和地点。从你去年初夏给罗比的那封信的片断中，我知道你已经把我给你的信件和礼物分成两包——至少是残存的那些——封好了急着要亲手交还给我。当然，是得物归原主了。你理解不了我为什么给你写那些美妙的书信，一如你理解不了我为什么送给你那些美妙的礼物。你不懂，信不是让你拿去发表的，一如礼物不是让你拿去典当的。况且它们属于生活中早已成旧事的一个方面，属于一段你就是看不到其真正价值的友情。你现在必定是心怀惊异地回首当初的日子，那时你手中操着我的整个生活。我也回首那些个日子，心中怀着惊异，也怀着别的、大大不同的各种感情[164a]。
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