Who was "Edwin Drood."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

Who was "Edwin Drood."

(From N.Z. Times Correspondent). LONDON, Nor. 15. An interesting possibility is suggested by the extracts, published last- -week from the diary of Mi£t3 Mary Robinson, the lady who came over from New Zealand to give evidence in the Druce case- The suggestion is that Dickens may have penned his last novel, '"The Mystery of Edwin Drood," with the alleged double life of T. C'. Druce in his mind's eye. Taking together the unfinished novel with its vexing mystery and' diary with its many anecdotes of Charles Dickens, anil ;vusuming the authenticity of the latter, there arises the irresistible idea that she writer of " Edwin Drood" had a mystery from real life in. his mind when he wrote that novel, containing as it did particulars of a man's double existence.

According to the diary of Miss Mary Robhtson, she was introduced to Dickens in October, 1868, at Welbeck, and from that time forward' met- liim more or less frequently up to April, 1870, the year of the publication of "Edwin Drood," and the year of his death. • In the entries covering this period we find details of the alleged double life of Mr T. U. Druce interwoven with anecdotes of Charles Dickens, who is stated to have been cognisant of all the circumstances of this dual personality, and to have leiated the facts fully to Miss Robinson.

One remark which Dickens is said to have made concerning ;the Duke may be quoted from the. diaivThe things he dabbled in whilst on the Continent are a loadstone about his neck ; He is blackmailed on all sides by tnose who pel - sonally knew him, and, as you know, he liveis a hunted life."

And Again.—" When I speak of Mr Bruce as ' Resurrection,' I refer to liie; present position as ths representative of two m-en in one body.'' But. more than this, the duke himself is alleged to have made a. clean breast of the whole mvsteiy to -Miss Robinson soon after the death of Dickens. WAS "DROOD" DRUCE. Turning from the diary to the novel, " Edwin Drood," one is naturally struck by the resemblance between Druce and Drood. This may, of course, be nothing more than a coincidence, but if the. entries in tli? journal nr-e to b-s relied'on. then iho likelihood 1 -hat- the Druec mystery prompted Dickens to w.:i>; " Edwin Drood" is straightened, the re-semblance of the names Iwcomes somewhat more of ». coincidence, and a curious sidelight is thrown oil the story of tin 1 complicated affair now before the Court?. Tn "Edwin Drood" there is a dual per-. .'.onali'v, John Jasper, with his footsteps dogged by a woman, who has found nut his* secret", and frequent- dialogues between him and Durdles. as to the secrets of vaults, ;ecall similar tnles of the mystoriion; vaults and turinete which have been mentioned from time to time in connect--ion with the Druce cpsp. And, finally, the reader is left with the haunting idea that, after all. young Edwin Drood may not have b?-?n murdered, but will reappear to confront th» man wlio Ims all along thought himself an nssar=.sin. Resides the resemblance of "Driw" and " Drood," the fact« of the incidents of tlv no vol taking plac° ' in' London, and in a cjuiet country town, the double life, and the tracking of Jasper bv th° wom ! >n who lias foupd o;U that secret, there is the

extraordinary circumstance that Dickens was writing the serial numbers of the novel at the very period when he is said to have imparted his knowledge of the double identity of the duke and Charles Druco to Miss Robinson. If the diary is really authentic, it is not a matter for wonder tlia-t he should return to Gladshill rfom Welbeek and write away at the "Edwin Drcod," with a mystery from real life, and every bit, us complcated, fresh in his mind.