The first edition of The Lost Girl exists in three states. These are: first, that which has the text exactly as Mr. Lawrence first wrote it; second, that which has the original text altered, the alterations occurring on two cancel-leaves, which, tipped-in, replaced two leaves with the original matter; third, that which has the altered pages not tipped-in, but as integral parts of the signatures to which they belong.
It is not generally known that any changes were made in the text of The Lost Girl after the book had been printed, but such is the case. These textual changes were made on pages 256 and 268, and necessitated tipped-in leaves at those places in the book. The cancel-leaves have been held, by a few careful dealers, to mark the real first issue. To most dealers this “point” is evidently unknown. Mr. Martin Secker, answering my inquiry about the changes in this book, wrote as follows: “The explanation of the tipped-in pages in The Lost Girl is that it was thought expedient to make certain verbal alterations in the text, a decision which was come to after the book was printed. As far as I know, all copies of the English edition in circulation are like this.”
This letter would seem to justify anyone in assuming that copies with the tipped-in leaves were of the first issue. But, as a matter of fact, copies with the original text are extant. At least one such copy has fallen into my hands. It came from an English dealer through the Centaur Book Shop. I have neither seen nor have I heard of another such copy. But that some few more are in circulation is likely. In any case this is certain: the unaltered form of The Lost Girl is a scarce book, perhaps even a rare one. So much for the first and second states.
Regarding the third state, little need be said. One might be justified in reporting it as a second printing; but since there is nothing in the book to indicate a complete reprinting, it seemed better to regard it as one form of the first edition, as I have done.
The first American edition of The Lost Girl, which has the altered text, was published, from new plates, by Thomas Seltzer, New York, 1921.
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MOVEMENTS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY
Published March 1921
Movements in / European History / By / Lawrence H. Davison / Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press / London, Edinburgh, Glasgow / Toronto, Melbourne, Cape Town, Bombay / 1921
Collation:—pp. x (preceded by blank leaf) + 306 (followed by fourteen pages of maps), consisting of half-title (verso blank), pp. (i, ii); title-page, as above (verso blank), pp. (iii, iv); Introduction for the Teacher, pp. v-viii; table of Contents (with list of fourteen Maps on verso), pp. ix, (x); text, pp. (1)-306. Printers’ imprint, beneath line, at foot of p. 306 as follows: Edinburgh: Printed by T. and A. Constable Ltd. At end of volume are fourteen maps, in black, which occupy the rectos of fourteen leaves, twelve of which are book-size, and two of which are 9¾ inches wide unfolded.