but it is really one of those ironies that are also
facts, that I rather welcomed the idea of a criticism in the paper
(which so often differs from you) from a modernist and collectivist
standpoint more like your own. I should imagine Pugh would agree with
you more than I do, and not less. I will not prejudge the quarrel
till I understand more of it; but I now write at once to tell you
that I would not dream of tolerating anything meant to be a mere
personal attack on you, even if I resigned my post on the point; and
I had already written to the office to say so. But I do not believe
for a moment that Pugh means any such thing; I regarded him as a
strong Wellsian and even more of an admirer than myself; though he
might be so modern as to use a familiar and mixed method of
portraiture, which is too modern for my tastes, but which many use
besides he. For the moment I suggest a possible misunderstanding,
which he may well correct by a further explanation. I had said
something myself in my weekly article, demurring to a possible
undervaluing of you, long before I heard of your own letter. Even
when I am in closer touch with things, of course, many things appear
in the paper with which I wholly disagree; but the notion of a mere
campaign against you would always have seemed to me as abominable and
absurd as it does now; I do not believe any one can entertain it; and
certainly I do not. I am perfectly willing to do you anything that
can fairly be shown to be justice, whether it were explanation or
apology or anything else. This is all I can say without your letter
and Pugh's side of the case; but I feel I should say this at once.

Yours sincerely,

G. K. CHESTERTON.

P.S. I have arranged for your letter to appear in next week's
number; but I may have more light on Pugh's attitude by then.

To Titterton he wrote:

. . . I do hope this work will not turn into anything that looks
like a mere attack on Wells, especially in the rather realistic and
personal modern manner, which I am perhaps too Victorian myself to
care very much about. I do not merely feel this because I have
managed to keep Wells as a friend on the whole. I feel it much more
(and I know you are a man to understand such sentiments) because I
have a sort of sense of honour about him as an enemy, or at least a
potential enemy. We are so certain to collid