LEINGOA？’literally’Whothename？’whichservesherefor’What’syourbusiness？’aswell。ItprovedtobeLafaele’sfriend；Ibadeakitchenboy，Lauilo，gowithhimtoseethespot，forthoughithadceasedraining，thewholeislandrananddripped。Lauilowaswillingenough，butthefriendofthearchangeldemurred；hehadtoomuchbusiness；hehadnotime。’Allright，’Isaid，’youtoomuchfrightened，Igoalong，’whichofcourseproducedtheusualshoutofdelightfromallthosewhodidnotrequiretogo。IgotintomySaranacsnowboots。Lauilogotacutlass；MaryCarter，ourSydneymaid，joinedthepartyforalark，andoffweset。I
　　tellyouourguidekeptusmoving；fortheduskfellswift。
　　Ourwoodshaveaninfamousreputationatthebest，andourerrandtosaytheleastofitwasgrisly。Atlast’theyfoundtheremains；theywereold，whichwasallIcaredtobesureof；itseemedastrangelysmall’pickle-banes’tostandforabig，flourishing，buck-islander，andtheirsituationinthedarkeninganddrippingbushwasmelancholy。Allatonce，Ifoundtherewasasecondskull，withabullet-holeIcouldhavestuckmytwothumbsin-sayanybodyelse’sonethumb。
　　MySamoanssaiditcouldnotbe，therewerenotenoughbones；
　　Iputthetwopiecesofskulltogether，andatlastconvincedthem。Whereupon，inaflash，theyfoundthenotunromanticexplanation。ThispoorbravehadsucceededintheheightofaSamoanwarriorsambition；hehadtakenahead，whichhewasneverdestinedtoshowtohisapplaudingcamp。Woundedhimself，hehadcrepthereintothebushtodiewithhisuselesstrophybyhisside。Hisdatewouldbeaboutfifteenyearsago，inthegreatbattlebetweenLaupepaandTalavou，whichtookplaceonMyLand，Sir。To-morrowweshallburythebonesandfireasaluteinhonourofunfortunatecourage。
　　DoyouthinkIhaveanemptylife？orthatamanjoggingtohisclubhassomuchtointerestandamusehim？-touchandtryhimtoo，butthatgoesalongwiththeothers:nopain，nopleasure，istheironlaw。SohereIstopagain，andleave，asIleftyesterday，mypoliticalbusinessuntouched。Andlo！herecomesmypupil，Ibelieve，soIstopintime。
　　MARCH2ND。
　　SinceIlastwrote，fifteenchaptersofDAVIDBALFOURhavebeendrafted，andfiveTIRESAUCLAIR。Ithinkitprettygood；there’sabloomingmaidenthatcostsanxiety-sheisasvirginalasbilly；butDavidseemsthereandalive，andtheLordAdvocateisgood，andsoIthinkisanepisodicappearanceoftheMasterofLovat。InChapterXVII。IshallgetDavidabroad-AlanwentalreadyinChapterXII。ThebookshouldbeaboutthelengthofKIDNAPPED；thisearlypartofit，aboutD。’sevidenceintheAppincase，ismoreofastorythananythinginKIDNAPPED，butthereisnodoubttherecomesabreakinthemiddle，andthetaleispracticallyintwodivisions。InthefirstJamesMoreandtheM’Gregors，andCatriona，onlyshow；inthesecond，theAppincasebeingdisposedof，andJamesStewarthung，theyruletheroastandusurptheinterest-shouldtherebeanyleft。WhydidI
　　takeupDAVIDBALFOUR？Idon’tknow。Asuddenpassion。
　　Monday，Iwentdownintherainwithacolictotakethechairatapublicmeeting；dinedwithHaggard；sailedofftomymeeting，andfoughtwithwildbeastsforthreeanxioushours。Allwaslostthatanysensiblemancaredfor，butthemeetingdidnotbreakup-thanksagooddealtoR。L。S-
　　andthemanwhoopposedmyelection，andwithwhomIwasallthetimewrangling，proposedthevoteofthankstomewithacertainhandsomeness；IassureyouIhadearnedit……
　　HaggardandthegreatAbdul，hishigh-casteIndianservant，importedbymywife，weresittingupformewithsupper，andIsupposeitwastwelvebeforeIgottobed。Tuesdayraining，mymotherrodedown，andwewenttotheConsulatetosignaFactoryandCommission。Thence，Itothelawyers，totheprintingoffice，andtotheMission。ItwasdinnertimewhenIreturnedhome。
　　Thismorning，ourcook-boyhavingsuddenlyleft-injuredfeelings-thearchangelwastocookbreakfast。Ifoundhimlightingthefirebeforedawn；hiseyesblazed，hehadnowordofanylanguagelefttouse，andIsawinhimtomywonderthestrongestworkingsofgratifiedambition。
　　NapoleonwasnomorepleasedtosignhisfirsttreatywithAustriathanwasLafaeletocookthatbreakfast。Allmorning，whenIhadhopedtobeatthisletter，IsleptlikeonedruggedandyoumusttakethiswhichisallIcangiveyouforwhatitisworth-
　　MEMOIRSOFHISADVENTURESATHOMEANDABROAD。THESECOND
　　PART；WHEREINARESETFORTHTHEMISFORTUNESINWHICHHEWAS
　　INVOLVEDUPONTHEAPPINMURDER；HISTROUBLESWITHLORD
　　ADVOCATEPRESTONGRANGE；CAPTIVITYONTHEBASSROCK；JOURNEY
　　INTOFRANCEANDHOLLAND；ANDSINGULARRELATIONSWITHJAMES
　　MOREDRUMMONDORMACGREGOR，ASONOFTHENOTORIOUSROBROY。
　　Chapters-I。ABeggaronHorseback。II。TheHighlandWriter。III。IgotoPilrig。IV。LordAdvocatePrestongrange。V。ButterandThunder。VI。Imakeafaultinhonour。VII。TheBravo。VIII。TheHeatheronFire。IX。I
　　begintobehauntedwithared-headedman。X。TheWoodbySilvermills。XI。OnthemarchagainwithAlan。XII。GillaneSands。XIII。TheBassRock。XIV。BlackAndie’sTaleofTodLapraik。XV。IgotoInveraray。
　　Thatisit，asfarasdrafted。ChaptersIV。V。VII。IX。andXIV。Iamspeciallypleasedwith；thelastbeinganepisodicalbogiestoryabouttheBassRocktoldtherebytheKeeper。
　　MYDEARS。C。，-Takeitnotamissifthisisawretchedletter。Iameatenupwithbusiness。EverydaythisweekI
　　havehadsomebusinessimpediment-Iamevennowwaitingadeputationofchiefsabouttheroad-andmypreciousmorningwasshatteredbyapoliteoldscourgeofaFAIPULE-
　　parliamentman-comebegging。AllthetimeDAVIDBALFOURisskelpingalong。Ibeganitthe13thoflastmonth；Ihavenow12chapters，79pagesreadyforpress，orwithinanace，and，bythetimethemonthisout，one-halfshouldbecompleted，andI’llbebackatdraftingthesecondhalf。
　　WhatmakesmesickistothinkofScottturningoutGUY
　　MANNERINGinthreeweeks！Whatapullofwork:heavens，whatthewsandsinews！AndhereamI，myheadspinningfromhavingonlyre-writtensevennotverydifficultpages-andnotverygoodwhendone。Weaklinggeneration。Itmakesmesickofmyself，tomakesuchafashandbobberyoverarottenendofanoldnurseryyarn，notworthspittingonwhendone。
　　Still，thereisnodoubtIturnoutmyworkmoreeasilythanofyore，andIsupposeIshouldbesinglygladofthat。AndifIgotmybookdoneinsixweeks，seeingitwillbeabouthalfaslongasaScott，andIhavetowriteeverythingtwice，itwouldbeaboutthesamerateofindustry。Itismyfairintentiontobedonewithitinthreemonths，whichwouldmakemeaboutone-halfthemanSirWalterwasforapplicationanddrivingthedullpen。Ofthemeritweshallnottalk；butIdon’tthinkDavieisWITHOUTmerit。
　　AndIhavethisdaytriumphantlyfinished15chapters，100
　　pages-beingexactlyone-halfasnearasanybodycanguess
　　ofDAVIDBALFOUR；thebooktobeaboutafifthaslongagainaltogetherasTREASUREISLAND:couldIbutdothesecondhalfinanothermonth！ButIcan’t，Ifear；Ishallhavesomebelatedmaterialarrivingbynextmail，andmustgoagainattheHistory。Isitnotcharacteristicofmybrokentenacityofmind，thatIshouldhaveleftDavieBalfoursomefiveyearsintheBritishLinenCompany’sOffice，andthenfollowhimatlastwithsuchvivacity？ButIleaveyouagain；thelast15thchapteroughttobere-wrote，orpartofit，andIwantthehalfcompletedinthemonth，andthemonthisoutbymidnight；though，tobesure，lastmonthwasFebruary，andImighttakegrace。ThesenotesareonlytoshowIholdyouinmind，thoughIknowtheycanhavenointerestformanorGodoranimal。
　　IshouldhavetoldyouabouttheClub。Wehavebeenaskedtotryandstartasortofweeklyballforthehalf-castesandnatives，ourselvestobetheonlywhites；andweconsented，fromaveryheavysenseofduty，andwithnotmuchhope。Twonightsagowehadtwentypeopleup，receivedtheminthefrontverandah，entertainedthemoncakeandlemonade，andI
　　madeaspeech-embodyingourproposals，orconditions，ifyoulike-forIsupposethirtyminutes。Nojoketospeaktosuchanaudience，butitisbelievedIwasthoroughlyintelligible。Itooktheplanofsayingeverythingatleasttwiceinadifferentformofwords，sothatiftheoneescapedmyhearers，theothermightbeseized。Onewhitemancamewithhiswife，andwaskeptrigorouslyonthefrontverandahbelow！Youseewhataseaoftroublesthisisliketoprove；butitistheonlychance-andwhenitblowsup，itmustblowup！Ihavenomorehopeinanythingthanadeadfrog；Igointoeverythingwithacomposeddespair，anddon’tmind-justasIalwaysgotoseawiththeconvictionIamtobedrowned，andlikeitbeforeallotherpleasures。Butyoushouldhaveseenthereturnvoyage，whennineteenhorseshadtobefoundinthedark，andnineteenbridles，allinadrenchofrain，andtheclub，justconstitutedassuch，sailedawayinthewet，underacloudymoonlikeabadshilling，andtodescendaroadthroughtheforestthatwasatthatmomenttheimageofarespectablemountainbrook。Mywife，whoispresidentWITHPOWERTOEXPEL，hadtobeginherfunctions。