Thisoughttohavegonelastmailandwasforgotten。MybestexcuseisthatIwasengagedinstartinganinfluenza，towhichclassofexploitourhouseholdhasbeensincethenentirelydedicated。Wehadeightcases，oneofthemverybad，andone-mine-complicatedwithmyoldfriendBluidyJack。LuckilyneitherFanny，LloydorBelletooktheconfoundedthing，andtheywereabletorunthehouseholdandnursethesicktoadmiration。
　　Someofourboysbehavedlikerealtrumps。PerhapstheprettiestperformancewasthatofourexcellentHenrySimele，or，aswesometimescallhim，DavyBalfour。Henry，Imaunpremeese，isachief；thehumblestSamoanrecoilsfromemptyingslopsasyouwouldfromcheatingatcards；nowthelastnightsofourbadtimewhenwehadsevendowntogether，itwasenoughtohavemadeanybodylaughorcrytoseeHenrygoingtheroundswithaslop-bucketandgoinginsidethemosquitonetofeachofthesick，ProtestantandCatholicalike，topraywiththem。
　　ImusttellyouthatinmysicknessIhadahugealleviationandbegananewstory。ThisIamwritingbydictation，andreallythinkitisanartIcanmanagetoacquire。Thereliefisbeyonddescription；itisjustlikeaschool-treattomeandtheamanuensisbearsupextraordinar’。ThestoryistobecalledST。IVES；Igiveyouyourchoicewhetherornotitshouldbearthesubtitle，’ExperiencesofaFrenchprisonerinEngland。’Wewerejustgettingonsplendidlywithit，whenthiscursedmailarrivedandrequirestobeattendedto。ItlookstomeverylikeasifSt。Iveswouldbereadybeforeanyoftheothers，butyouknowmeandhowimpossibleitisIshouldpredict。TheAmanuensishasherheadquiteturnedandbelievesherselftobetheauthorofthisnovelandIStosomeextent-andasthecreature！
　　hasnotbeenwhollyuselessinthematterItoldyouso！
　　A。M。Iproposetofosterhervanitybyalittlecommemorationgift！ThenameoftheheroisAnnedeSt。Yves-heEnglisheshisnametoSt。Ivesduringhisescape。ItismyideatogetaringmadewhichshalleitherrepresentANNE
　　orA。S。Y。A。，ofcourse，wouldbeAmethystandS。Sapphire，whichismyfavouritestoneanywayandwasmyfather’sbeforeme。Butwhatwouldtheex-SladeprofessordoabouttheletterY？Orsupposehetooktheotherversion，howwouldhemeetthecase，thetwoN。’s？Thesethingsarebeyondmyknowledge，whichitwouldperhapsbemoredescriptivetocallignorance。ButIplacethematterinthemeanwhileunderyourconsiderationandbegtohearyourviews。IshalltellyouonsomeotheroccasionandwhentheA。M。isoutofhearinghowVERYmuchIproposetoinvestinthistestimonial；butImayaswellinformyouatoncethatI
　　intendittobecheap，sir，damnedcheap！Myideaofrunningamanuensesisbypraise，notpudding，flatteryandnotcoins！
　　Ishallsendyouwhenthetimeisripearingtomeasureby。
　　Toresumeoursadtale。AftertheothersevenwerealmostwhollyrecoveredHenrylaydowntoinfluenzaonhisownaccount。HeisbutjustbetteranditlooksasthoughFannywereabouttobringuptherear。Asforme，Iamallright，thoughIWASreducedtodictatingANNEinthedeafanddumbalphabet，whichIthinkyouwilladmitisaCOMBLE。
　　Politicsleavemeextraordinarycold。Itseemsthatsomuchofmypurposehascomeoff，andCedarcrantzandPilsacharesacked。Therestofithasallgonetowater。Thetriple-
　　headedassathome，inhisplenitudeofignorance，preferstocollectthetaxesandscattertheMataafasbyforceorthethreatofforce。Itmaysucceed，andIsupposeitwill。Itisnonethelessforthatexpensive，harsh，unpopularandunsettling。Iamyoungenoughtohavebeenannoyed，andaltogetherejectandrenegatethewholeideaofpoliticalaffairs。Successinthatfieldappearstobetheorganisationoffailureenlivenedwithdefamationofcharacter；and，muchasIlovepicklesandhotwaterinyourtruephraseIshalltakemypicklesinfuturefromCrosseandBlackwellandmyhotwaterwithadoseofgoodGlenlivat。
　　Donotbotheratallaboutthewall-papers。Wehavehadthewholeofournewhousevarnished，anditlooksbeautiful。I
　　wishyoucouldseethehall；poorroom，ithadtobeginlifeasaninfirmaryduringourrecentvisitation；butitisreallyahandsomecomelyplace，andwhenwegetthefurniture，andthepictures，andwhatissoverymuchmoredecorative，thepictureframes，willlooksublime。
　　JAN。30TH。
　　IhavewrittentoCharlesaskingforRowlandson’sSyntaxandDanceofDeathoutofourhouse，andbeggingforanythingaboutfashionsandmannersfashionsparticularlyfor1814。
　　Canyouhelp？BoththeJusticeClerkandSt。Ivesfallinthatfatedyear。IndeedIgotintoSt。IveswhilegoingovertheAnnualRegisterfortheother。ThereisakindoffancylistofChaps。ofSt。Ives。ItbeginsinEdinburghCastle。
　　I。Storyofalionrampantthatwasatoyhehadmade，andgiventoagirlvisitor。II。Storyofapairofscissors。
　　III。St。Ivesreceivesabundleofmoney。IV。St。Ivesisshownahouse。V。TheEscape。VI。TheCottageSwanstonCollege。VII。TheHen-house。VIII。Threeiscompanyandfournone。IX。TheDrovers。X。TheGreatNorthRoad。XI。
　　BurchellFenn。XII。Thecoveredcart。XIII。Thedoctor。
　　XIV。TheLuddites。V。Setathieftocatchathief。XXVI。
　　M。leComtedeKerouallehisuncle，therichEMIGRE，whomhefindsmurdered。XVII。Thecousins。XVIII。Mr。SergeantGarrow。XIX。AmeetingattheShip，Dover。XX。Diane。XXI。
　　TheDuke’sPrejudices。XXII。TheFalseMessenger。XXIII。
　　Thegardener’sladder。XXIV。Theofficers。XXV。TroublewiththeDuke。XXVI。Fouquetagain。XXVII。TheAeronaut。
　　XXVIII。TheTrue-BloodedYankee。XXIX。InFrance。Idon’tknowwheretostop。Apropos，IwantabookaboutParis，andtheFIRSTRETURNoftheEMIGRESandalluptotheCENTJOURS:
　　d’yekenanythinginmyway？IwantinparticulartoknowaboutthemandtheNapoleonicfunctionariesandofficers，andtogetthecolourandsomevitaldetailsofthebusinessofexchangeofdepartmentsfromonesidetotheother。Tenchaptersaredrafted，andVIII。re-copiedbyme，butwillwantanotherdressingforluck。Itismerelyastoryofadventure，ramblingalong；butthatisperhapstheguardthat’setsmygeniusbest，’asAlanmighthavesaid。IwishI
　　couldfeelaseasyabouttheother！Butthere，allnovelsareaheavyburthenwhiletheyaredoing，andasensibledisappointmentwhentheyaredone。
　　ForGod’ssake，letmehaveacopyofthenewGermanSamoaWhitebook。R。L。S。
　　ATSEA，S。S。&MARIPOSA，FEB。19th，’93。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-YouwillseefromthisheadingthatIamnotdeadyetnorlikelytobe。Iwasprettyconsiderablyoutofsorts，andthatisindeedonereasonwhyFanny，Belle，andIhavestartedoutforamonth’slark。Tobequiteexact，I
　　thinkitwillbeaboutfiveweeksbeforewegethome。WeshallstaybetweentwoandthreeinSydney。Already，thoughweonlysailedyesterday，Iamfeelingasfitasafiddle。
　　Fannyateawholefowlforbreakfast，tosaynothingofatowerofhotcakes。BelleandIflooredanotherhenbetwixtthepairofus，andIshallbenosoonerdonewiththepresentamanuensingracketthanIshallputmyselfoutsideapintofGuinness。IfyouthinkthislookslikedyingofconsumptioninApiaIcanonlysayIdifferfromyou。InthematterofDavid，Ihaveneveryetreceivedmyproofsatall，butshallcertainlywaitforyoursuggestions。Certainly，Chaps。17to20arethehitch，andIconfessIhurriedoverthemwithbothwingsspread。Thisisdoubtlesswhatyoucomplainof。Indeed，IplacedmysinglerelianceonMissGrant。Ifshecouldn’tferrymeover，IfeltIhadtostaythere。
　　AboutISLANDNIGHTS’ENTERTAINMENTSallyousayishighlysatisfactory。Goinandwin。
　　TheextractsfromtheTIMESIreallycannottrustmyselftocommentupon。Theywereinfernallysatisfactory；so，andperhapsstillmoreso，wasaletterIhadatthesametimefromLordPembroke。IfIhavetimeasIgothroughAuckland，IamgoingtoseeSirGeorgeGrey。
　　NowIreallythinkthat’sallthebusiness。Ihavebeenrathersickandhavehadtwosmallhemorrhages，butthesecondIbelievetohavebeenaccidental。Nogooddenyingthatthisannoys，becauseitdo。However，youmustexpectinfluenzatoleavesomeharm，andmyspirits，appetite，peaceonearthandgoodwilltomenareallonarisingmarket。
　　Duringthelastweektheamanuensiswasotherwiseengaged，whereuponItookup，pitchedinto，andaboutonehalfdemolishedanothertale，onceintendedtobecalledTHEPEARL
　　FISHER，butnowrazeedandcalledTHESCHOONERFARRALONE。Wehadacapitalstart，thesteamercominginatsunrise，andjustgivingustimetogetourlettersereshesailedagain。
　　ThemanageroftheGermanfirmOstrange，changeddays！
　　dancedattendanceuponusallmorning；hisboatconveyedustoandfromthesteamer。
　　FEB。21ST。
　　Allcontinueswell。Amanuensisbowledoverforaday，butafootagainandjolly；Fannyenormouslybetteredbythevoyage；Ihavebeenasjollyasasand-boyasusualatsea。
　　TheAmanuensissitsoppositetomewritingtoheroffspring。
　　Fannyisondeck。IhavejustsuppliedherwiththeCanadianPacificAgent，andsoleftheringoodhands。YoushouldhearmeattablewiththeUlsterpurserandalittlepunningmicroscopistcalledDavis。BelledoessomekindofabstruseBoswellising；afterthefirstmeal，havinggaugedthekindofjeststhatwouldpayhere，Iobserved，’BoswellisBarredduringthiscruise。’
　　23RD
　　WeapproachAucklandandImustclosemymail。Allgoeswellwiththetrio。Boththeladiesarehangingroundabeau-
　　thesame-thatIunearthedforthem:Iamgeneralprovider，andespeciallygreatinthebeauxbusiness。IcorrectedsomeproofsforFannyyesterdayafternoon，fellasleepovertheminthesaloon-andthewholeshipseemstohavebeendownbeholdingme。AfterIwokeup，hadahotbath，awhiskeypunchandacigarette，andwenttobed，andtosleeptoo，at8。30；arecrudescenceofVailimahours。Awoketo-day，andhadtogotothesaloonclockforthehour-nosignofdawn-allheavengreyrainyfog。Havejusthadbreakfast，writtenuponeletter，registerandclosethis。
　　Badpen，badink，badlight，badblotting-paper。
　　S。S。MARIPOSA，ATSEA。
　　APIADUEBYDAYBREAKTO-MORROW9P。M。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-Havehadanamusingbuttragicholiday，fromwhichwereturnindisarray。Fannyquitesick，butI
　　thinkslowlyandsteadilymending；Belleinaterrificstateofdentistrytroubleswhichnowseemcalmed；andmyselfwithasuccessionofgentlecoldsoutofwhichIatlastsucceededincookingupafinepleurisy。Bystoppingandstewinginaperfectlyairlessstate-roomIseemtohavegotridofthepleurisy。PoorFannyhadverylittlefunofhervisit，havingbeenmostofthetimeonadietofmaltineandslops-
　　andthiswhiletherestofuswereriotingonoystersandmushrooms。Belle’sonlydevilinthehedgewasthedentist。
　　Asforme，IwasentertainedattheGeneralAssemblyofthePresbyterianChurch，likewiseatasortofartisticclub；
　　madespeechesatboth，andmaythereforebesaidtohavebeen，likeSaintPaul，allthingstoallmen。IhaveanaccountofthelatterracketwhichImeanttohaveenclosedinthis……Hadsomesplendidphotostaken，likewiseamedallionbyaFrenchsculptor；metGraham，whoreturnedwithusasfarasAuckland。HaveseenagooddealtooofSirGeorgeGrey；whatawonderfuloldhistoricfiguretobewalkingonyourarmandrecallingancienteventsandinstances！Itmakesamansmall，andyettheextenttowhichheapprovedwhatIhaddone-orratherhavetriedtodo-
　　encouragedme。SirGeorgeisanexpertatleast，heknowstheseraces:heisnotasmallemployewithanink-potandaWhittaker。
　　Takeitforallinall，itwashugefun:evenFannyhadsomelivelysportatthebeginning；BelleandIallthrough。WegotFannyadressonthesly，gaudyblackvelvetandDuchesselace。Andalas！shewasonlyabletowearitonce。Butwe’llhopetoseemoreofitatSamoa；itreallyislovely。
　　Bothdamesareroyallyoutfittedinsilkstockings，etc。Wereturn，asfromaraid，withourspoilsandourwounded。I
　　amnowverydandy:IannouncedtwoyearsagothatIshouldchange。Slovenlyyouth，allright-notslovenlyage。SoreallynowIamprettyspruce；alwaysawhiteshirt，whitenecktie，freshshave，silk，socks，Oagreatsight！-Nomorepossible，R。L。S。