SundaycametheKATOOMBA，CaptainBickford，C。M。G。
　　Yesterday，GrahamandIwentdowntocall，andfindhehasorderstosuppressMataafaatonce，andhastogodownto-daybeforedaybreaktoManono。Heisaverycapable，energeticman；ifhehadonlycometendaysago，allthiswouldhavegoneby；butnowthequestionsarethickanddifficult。1
　　WillMataafasurrender？2Willhispeopleallowthemselvestobedisarmed？3Whatwillhappentothemiftheydo？
　　4Whatwillanyofthembelieveafterformerdeceptions？
　　ThethreeconsulswerescamperingonhorsebacktoLeulumoegatotheKing；noCusack-Smith，withoutwhoseaccessionIcouldnotsendalettertoMataafa。Irodeuphere，wrotemyletterinthesweatoftheconcordanceandwiththeable-
　　bodiedhelpofLloyd-anddined。Thendownincontinualshowersandpitchydarkness，andtoCusack-Smith’s；notre-
　　returned。Backtotheinnformyhorse，andtoC-S。’s，whenIfindhimjustreturnedandheacceptsmyletter。Thencehome，by12。30，jollytiredandwet。Andto-dayhavebeeninacrispationofenergyandill-temper，rakingmywretchedmailtogether。Itisahatefulbusiness，waitingforthenews；itmaycometoafearfulmassacreyet-Yoursever，R。L。S。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-Quiteimpossibletowrite。Yourletterisdueto-day；anasty，rainy-likemorningwithhugeblueclouds，andahugeindigoshadowonthesea，andmylampstillburningatnear7。Letmehumblygiveyounews。Fannyseemsonthewholethemost，ortheonly，powerfulmemberofthefamily；forsomedaysshehasbeentheFloweroftheFlock。Belleisbeggingforquinine。LloydandGrahamhavebothbeendownwith’bellybelonghim’BlackBoyspeech。
　　Asforme，Ihavetolayasidemylawntennis，havingaswastobeexpectedhadasmartbuteminentlybriefhemorrhage。
　　Iamalsoonthequinineflask。Ihavebeenre-castingthebeginningoftheHANGINGJUDGEorWEIROFHERMISTON；thenI
　　havebeencobblingonmygrandfather，whoselastchapterthereareonlytobefourisintheformofpiecesofpaper，ahugewelterofinconsequence，andthatglimmeroffaithorhopewhichonelearnsatthistrade，thatsomehowandsometime，byperpetualstaringandgloweringandrewriting，orderwillemerge。Itisindeedaqueerhope；
　　thereisonepieceforinstancethatIwantin-Icannotputitoneplaceforagoodreason-Icannotputitanotherforabetter-andeverytimeIlookatit，IturnsickandputtheMs。away。
　　Well，yourletterhasn’tcome，andanumberofothersaremissing。Itlooksasifamail-baghadgoneon，soI’llblamenobody，andproceedtobusiness。
　　ItlooksasifIwasgoingtosendyouthefirstthreechaptersofmyGrandfather……Iftheyweresetup，itwouldbethatmuchanxietyoffmymind。Ihaveastrangefeelingofresponsibility，asifIhadmyancestors’SOULSinmycharge，andmightmiscarrywiththem。
　　There’salotofworkgoneintoit，andalotmoreisneeded。
　　StillChapterI。seemsaboutrighttome，andmuchofChapterII。ChapterIII。Iknownothingof，asItoldyou。AndChapterIV。isatpresentallendsandbeginnings；butitcanbepulledtogether。
　　ThisisallIhavebeenabletoscrewuptoyouforthismonth，andImayaddthatitisnotonlymorethanyoudeserve，butjustaboutmorethanIwasequalto。Ihavebeenandamentirelyuseless；justabletotinkeratmyGrandfather。Thethreechapters-perhapsalsoalittleofthefourth-willcomehometoyounextmailbythehandofmycousinGrahamBalfour，averynicefellowwhomIrecommendtoyouwarmly-andwhomIthinkyouwilllike。Thiswillgiveyoutimetoconsidermyvariousanddistractedschemes。
　　Allourwarsareoverinthemeantime，tobeginagainassoonasthewar-shipsleave。Adieu。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-YourpleasingletterRETHEEBBTIDE，tohand。Ipropose，ifitbenottoolate，todeleteLloyd’sname。Hehasnothingtodowiththelasthalf。Thefirstwewrotetogether，asthebeginningofalongyarn。Thesecondisentirelymine；andIthinkitratherunfairontheyoungmantocouplehisnamewithsoinfamousawork。Aboveall，asyouhadnotreadthetwolastchapters，whichseemtomethemostuglyandcynicalofall。
　　YouwillseethatIamnotinagoodhumour；andIamnot。
　　Itisnotbecauseofyourletter，butbecauseofthecomplicatedmiseriesthatsurroundmeandthatIchoosetosaynothingof。LifeisnotallBeerandSkittles。Theinherenttragedyofthingsworksitselfoutfromwhitetoblackandblacker，andthepoorthingsofadaylookruefullyon。Doesitshakemycast-ironfaith？Icannotsayitdoes。
　　Ibelieveinanultimatedecencyofthings；ay，andifIwokeinhell，shouldstillbelieveit！Butitishardwalking，andIcanseemyownshareinthemissteps，andcanbowmyheadtotheresult，likeanold，stern，unhappydevilofaNorseman，asmyultimatecharacteris……
　　Well，ILFAUTCULTIVERSONJARDIN。Thatlastexpressionofpoor，unhappyhumanwisdomItaketomyheartandgotoST。
　　IVES。
　　24thAUG。
　　Anddid，andworkedabout2hoursandgottosleepultimatelyand’a’thecloudshasblawnaway。’’Besurewe’llhavesomepleisandweather，Whena’thecloudsstorms？hasblawngone？away。’Versesthathaveaquiteinexplicableattractionforme，andIbelievehadforBurns。Theyhavenomerit，butaresomehowgood。Iamnowinamostexcellenthumour。
　　IamdeepinST。IVESwhich，Ibelieve，willbethenextnoveldone。ButitistobeclearlyunderstoodthatI
　　promisenothing，andmaythrowinyourfacetheverylastthingyouexpect-orIexpect。ST。IVESwilltomymind
　　notbewhollybad。Itiswritteninratherafunnystyle；alittlestiltedandleft-handed；thestyleofSt。Ives；also，tosomeextent，thestyleofR。L。S。dictating。ST。IVES
　　isunintellectualandexceptasanadventurenovel，dull。
　　Buttheadventuresseemtomesoundandprettyprobable；anditisalovestory。Speedhiswings！
　　SUNDAYNIGHT。
　　DECOEURUNPEUPLUSDISPOS，MONSIEURETCHERCONFRERE，JEME
　　REMETSAVOUSECRIRE。ST。IVESisnowinthe5thchaptercopying；inthe14thchapterofthedictateddraft。IdonotbelieveIshallendbydislikingit。
　　MONDAY。
　　Well，heregoesagainforthenews。FannyisVERYWELL
　　indeed，andingoodspirits；IamingoodspiritsbutnotVERYwell；Lloydisingoodspiritsandverywell；Bellehasarealgoodfeverwhichhasputherpipeoutwholly。Grahamgoesbackthismail。HetakeswithhimthreechaptersofTHE
　　FAMILY，andistogotoyouassoonashecan。Hecannotbemuchthemasterofhismovements，butyougriphimwhenyoucanandgetallyoucanfromhim，ashehaslivedaboutsixmonthswithusandhecantellyoujustwhatistrueandwhatisnot-andnotthedreamsofdearoldRoss。Heisagoodfellow，ishenot？
　　SinceyouratherreviseyourviewsofTHEEBBTIDE，IthinkLloyd’snamemightstick，butI’llleaveittoyou。I’lltellyoujusthowitstands。Uptothediscoveryofthechampagne，thetalewasallplannedbetweenusanddraftedbyLloyd；fromthatmomenthehashadnothingtodowithitexcepttalkingitover。Forwechangedourplan，gaveuptheprojectedMonteCristo，andcutitdownforashortstory。
　　Myjmpression-Ibegyourpardon-thisisalocaljoke-afirmherehadonitsbeerlabels，’solejmporters’-isthatitwillneverbepopular，butmightmakealittleSUCCESDE
　　SCANDALE。However，I’mdonewithitnow，andnotsorry，andthecrowdmayraveandmumbleitsbonesforwhatIcare。
　　Holeessential。Iamsorryaboutthemaps；butIwant’emfornextedition，soseeandhaveproofssent。YouarequiterightaboutthebottleandthegreatHuish，Imusttrytomakeitclear。No，IwillnotwriteaplayforIrvingnorforthedevil。CanyounotseethattheworkofFALSIFICATIONwhichaplaydemandsisofalltasksthemostungrateful？AndIhavedoneitalongwhile-andnothingevercameofit。
　　Considermynewproposal，ImeanHonolulu。YouwouldgettheAtlanticandtheRockyMountains，wouldyounot？forbracing。
　　Andsomuchlesssea！AndthenyoucouldactuallyseeVailima，whichIWOULDlikeyouto，forit’sbeautifulandmyhomeandtombthatistobe；thoughit’sawrenchnottobeplantedinScotland-thatIcanneverdeny-ifIcouldonlybeburiedinthehills，undertheheatherandatabletombstonelikethemartyrs，wherethewhaupsandploversarecrying！DidyouseeamanwhowrotetheSTICKITMINISTER，anddedicatedittome，inwordsthatbroughtthetearstomyeyeseverytimeIlookedatthem，’Whereaboutthegravesofthemartyrsthewhaupsarecrying。HISheartremembershow。’
　　Ah，byGod，itdoes！SingularthatIshouldfulfiltheScotsdestinythroughout，andliveavoluntaryexile，andhavemyheadfilledwiththeblessed，beastlyplaceallthetime！
　　AndnowawordasregardsthedelusionsofthedearRoss，whoremembers，Ibelieve，mylettersandFanny’swhenwewerefirstinstalled，andwerereallyhoeingahardrow。Wehavesalad，beans，cabbages，tomatoes，asparagus，kohl-rabi，oranges，limes，barbadines，pine-apples，Capegooseberries-
　　galore；pintsofmilkandcream；freshmeatfivedaysaweek。
　　Itistherarestthingforanyofustotouchatin；andthegnashingofteethwhenithastobedoneisdreadful-fornoonewhohasnotlivedonthemforsixmonthsknowswhattheHatredoftheTinis。Asforexposure，myweaknessiscertainlythereverse；Iamsometimesamonthwithoutleavingtheverandah-formysins，beitsaid！Doubtless，whenIgoaboutand，astheDoctorsays，’exposemyselftomalaria，’I
　　aminfarbetterhealth；andIwoulddosomoretoo-forI
　　donotmeantobesilly-butthedifficultiesaregreat。
　　However，youseehowmuchthedearDoctorknowsofmydietandhabits！Malariapracticallydoesnotexistintheseislands；itisanegligeablequantity。Whatreallybothersusalittleisthemosquitoaffair-theso-calledelephantiasis-askRossaboutit。Arealromanceofnaturalhistory，QUOI！
　　Hi！stop！yousayTHEEBBTIDEisthe’workingoutofanartisticproblemofakind。’Well，Ishouldjustbetitwas！
　　Youdon’tlikeAttwater。Butlookatmythreerogues；
　　they’reallthere，I’llgobail。Threetypesofthebadman，theweakman，andthestrongmanwithaweakness，thataregonethroughandlivedout。
　　Yes，ofcourseIwassorryforMataafa，butagooddealsorrierandangrieraboutthemismanagementofallthewhiteofficials。Icannotbeartowriteaboutthat。Manonoalldestroyed，onehousestandinginApolima，thewomenstripped，theprisonersbeatenwithwhips-andthewomen’sheadstaken-allunderwhiteauspices。Andforupshotandresultofsomuchshametothewhitepowers-Tamasesealreadyconspiring！
　　asIknewandpreachedinvainmustbethecase！Well，well，itisnofuntomeddleinpolitics！
　　Isupposeyou’rerightaboutSimon。ButitisSymonthroughoutinthatblessedlittlevolumemyfatherboughtformeinInvernessintheyearofgrace’81，Ibelieve-thetrialofJamesStewart，withtheJacobitepamphletandthedyingspeechappended-outofwhichthewholeofDaviehasalreadybeenbegotten，andwhichIfeltitakindofloyaltytofollow。Ireallyoughttohaveitboundinvelvetandgold，ifIhadanygratitude！andthebestofthelarkis，thatthenameofDavidBalfourisnotanywherewithintheboundsofit。
　　Aprettycuriousinstanceofthegenesisofabook。IamdelightedatyourgoodwordforDAVID；Ibelievethetwotogethermakeupmuchthebestofmyworkandperhapsofwhatisinme。Iamnotashamedofthem，atleast。Thereisonehitch；insteadofthreehoursbetweenthetwoparts，IfeartherehavepassedthreeyearsoverDavie’scharacter；butdonottellanybody；seeiftheycanfinditoutforthemselves；
　　andnodoubthisexperiencesinKIDNAPPEDwouldgofartoformhim。IwouldlikeacopytogotoG。Meredith。