Volume Ii Part 37 (2/2)

[Sidenote: Mr. Percy Fitzgerald.]

OFFICE OF ”ALL THE YEAR ROUND,”

_Sat.u.r.day, Sept. 23rd, 1865._

MY DEAR FITZGERALD,

I cannot thank you too much for Sultan. He is a n.o.ble fellow, has fallen into the ways of the family with a grace and dignity that denote the gentleman, and came down to the railway a day or two since to welcome me home (it was our first meeting), with a profound absence of interest in my individual opinion of him which captivated me completely. I am going home to-day to take him about the country, and improve his acquaintance.

You will find a perfect understanding between us, I hope, when you next come to Gad's Hill. (He has only swallowed Bouncer once, and temporarily.)

Your hint that you were getting on with your story and liked it was more than golden intelligence to me in foreign parts. The intensity of the heat, both in Paris and the provinces, was such that I found nothing else so refres.h.i.+ng in the course of my rambles.

With many more thanks for the dog than my sheet of paper would hold,

Believe me, ever very faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mrs. Procter.]

GAD'S HILL PLACE, HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT, _Sept. 26th, 1865._

MY DEAR MRS. PROCTER,

I have written the little introduction, and have sent it to my printer, in order that you may read it without trouble. But if you would like to keep the few pages of MS., of course they are yours.

It is brief, and I have aimed at perfect simplicity, and an avoidance of all that your beloved Adelaide would have wished avoided. Do not expect too much from it. If there should be anything wrong in fact, or anything that you would like changed for any reason, _of course you will tell me so_, and of course you will not deem it possible that you can trouble me by making any such request most freely.

You will probably receive the proof either on Friday or Sat.u.r.day. Don't write to me until you have read it. In the meantime I send you back the two books, with the two letters in the bound one.

With love to Procter, Ever your affectionate Friend.

[Sidenote: Mr. Edmund Yates.]

HoTEL DU HELDER, PARIS, _Wednesday, Sept. 30th, 1865._

MY DEAR EDMUND,

I leave here to-morrow and purpose being at the office on Sat.u.r.day night; all next week I shall be there, off and on--”off” meaning Gad's Hill; the office will be my last address. The heat has been excessive on this side of the Channel, and I got a slight sunstroke last Thursday, and was obliged to be doctored and put to bed for a day; but, thank G.o.d, I am all right again. The man who sells the _tisane_ on the Boulevards can't keep the flies out of his gla.s.ses, and as he wears them on his red velvet bands, the flies work themselves into the ends of the tumblers, trying to get through and tickle the man. If fly life were long enough, I think they would at last. Three paving blouses came to work at the corner of this street last Monday, pulled up a bit of road, sat down to look at it, and fell asleep. On Tuesday one of the blouses spat on his hands and seemed to be going to begin, but didn't. The other two have shown no sign of life whatever. This morning the industrious one ate a loaf. You may rely upon this as the latest news from the French capital.

Faithfully ever.

[Sidenote: Mr. William Charles Kent.]

26, WELLINGTON STREET, _Monday, Nov. 6th, 1865._

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