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WITNESS； LLOYD OSBOURNE；
WITNESS； HAROLD WATTS。
Letter： TO HENRY JAMES
＇VAILIMA； OCTOBER 1891。＇
MY DEAR HENRY JAMES； … From this perturbed and hunted being expect
but a line； and that line shall be but a whoop for Adela。 O she's
delicious； delicious； I could live and die with Adela … die； rather
the better of the two； you never did a straighter thing； and never
will。
DAVID BALFOUR； second part of KIDNAPPED； is on the stocks at last；
and is not bad； I think。 As for THE WRECKER； it's a machine； you
know … don't expect aught else … a machine； and a police machine；
but I believe the end is one of the most genuine butcheries in
literature； and we point to our machine with a modest pride； as the
only police machine without a villain。 Our criminals are a most
pleasing crew； and leave the dock with scarce a stain upon their
character。
What a different line of country to be trying to draw Adela； and
trying to write the last four chapters of THE WRECKER！ Heavens；
it's like two centuries； and ours is such rude； transpontine
business； aiming only at a certain fervour of conviction and sense
of energy and violence in the men； and yours is so neat and bright
and of so exquisite a surface！ Seems dreadful to send such a book
to such an author； but your name is on the list。 And we do
modestly ask you to consider the chapters on the NORAH CREINA with
the study of Captain Nares； and the forementioned last four； with
their brutality of substance and the curious （and perhaps unsound）
technical manoeuvre of running the story together to a point as we
go along； the narrative becoming more succinct and the details
fining off with every page。 … Sworn affidavit of
R。 L。 S。
NO PERSON NOW ALIVE HAS BEATEN ADELA： I ADORE ADELA AND HER MAKER。
SIC SUBSCRIB。
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
A Sublime Poem to follow。
Adela； Adela； Adela Chart；
What have you done to my elderly heart？
Of all the ladies of paper and ink
I count you the paragon； call you the pink。
The word of your brother depicts you in part：
'You raving maniac！' Adela Chart；
But in all the asylums that cumber the ground；
So delightful a maniac was ne'er to be found。
I pore on you； dote on you； clasp you to heart；
I laud； love； and laugh at you； Adela Chart；
And thank my dear maker the while I admire
That I can be neither your husband nor sire。
Your husband's； your sire's were a difficult part；
You're a byway to suicide； Adela Chart；
But to read of； depicted by exquisite James；
O； sure you're the flower and quintessence of dames。
R。 L。 S。
ERUCTAVIT COR MEUM。
My heart was inditing a goodly matter about Adela Chart。
Though oft I've been touched by the volatile dart；
To none have I grovelled but Adela Chart；
There are passable ladies； no question； in art …
But where is the marrow of Adela Chart？
I dreamed that to Tyburn I passed in the cart …
I dreamed I was married to Adela Chart：
From the first I awoke with a palpable start；
The second dumfoundered me； Adela Chart！
Another verse bursts from me； you see； no end to the violence of
the Muse。
Letter： TO E。 L。 BURLINGAME
OCTOBER 8TH； 1891。
MY DEAR BURLINGAME； … All right； you shall have the TALES OF MY
GRANDFATHER soon； but I guess we'll try and finish off THE WRECKER
first。 A PROPOS of whom； please send some advanced sheets to
Cassell's … away ahead of you … so that they may get a dummy out。
Do you wish to illustrate MY GRANDFATHER？ He mentions as excellent
a portrait of Scott by Basil Hall's brother。 I don't think I ever
saw this engraved； would it not； if you could get track of it；
prove a taking embellishment？ I suggest this for your
consideration and inquiry。 A new portrait of Scott strikes me as
good。 There is a hard； tough； constipated old portrait of my
grandfather hanging in my aunt's house； Mrs。 Alan Stevenson； 16 St。
Leonard's Terrace； Chelsea； which has never been engraved … the
better portrait； Joseph's bust has been reproduced； I believe；
twice … and which； I am sure； my aunt would let you have a copy of。
The plate could be of use for the book when we get so far； and thus
to place it in the MAGAZINE might be an actual saving。
I am swallowed up in politics for the first； I hope for the last；
time in my sublunary career。 It is a painful； thankless trade； but
one thing that came up I could not pass in silence。 Much drafting；
addressing； deputationising has eaten up all my time； and again （to
my contrition） I leave you Wreckerless。 As soon as the mail leaves
I tackle it straight。 … Yours very sincerely；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO E。 L。 BURLINGAME
VAILIMA ＇AUTUMN 1891＇。
MY DEAR BURLINGAME； … The time draws nigh； the mail is near due；
and I snatch a moment of collapse so that you may have at least
some sort of a scratch of note along with the
end
of
THE
WRECKER。
Hurray！
which I mean to go herewith。 It has taken me a devil of a pull；
but I think it's going to be ready。 If I did not know you were on
the stretch waiting for it and trembling for your illustrations； I
would keep it for another finish； but things being as they are； I
will let it go the best way I can get it。 I am now within two
pages of the end of Chapter XXV。； which is the last chapter； the
end with its gathering up of loose threads； being the dedication to
Low； and addressed to him： this is my last and best expedient for
the knotting up of these loose cards。 'Tis possible I may not get
that finished in time； in which case you'll receive only Chapters
XXII。 to XXV。 by this mail； which is all that can be required for
illustration。
I wish you would send me MEMOIRS OF BARON MARBOT （French）；
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE； Strong；
Logeman & Wheeler； PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY； William James； Morris
& Magnusson's SAGA LIBRARY； any volumes that are out； George
Meredith's ONE OF OUR CONQUERORS； LA BAS； by Huysmans （French）；
O'Connor Morris's GREAT COMMANDERS OF MODERN TIMES； LIFE'S
HANDICAP； by Kipling； of Taine's ORIGINES DE LA FRANCE
CONTEMPORAINE； I have only as far as LA REVOLUTION； vol。 iii。； if
another volume is out； please add that。 There is for a book…box。
I hope you will like the end； I think it is rather strong meat。 I
have got into such a deliberate； dilatory； expansive turn； that the
effort to compress this last yarn was unwelcome； but the longest
yarn has to come to an end sometime。 Please look it over for
carelessnesses； and tell me if it had any effect upon your jaded
editorial mind。 I'll see if ever I have time to add more。
I add to my book…box list Adams' HISTORICAL ESSAYS； the Plays of A。
W。 Pinero … all that have appeared； and send me the rest in course
as they do appear； NOUGH