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with it； when this cursed mail arrived and requires to be
attended to。 It looks to me very like as if St。 Ives would
be ready before any of the others； but you know me and how
impossible it is I should predict。 The Amanuensis has her
head quite turned and believes herself to be the author of
this novel （and IS to some extent） … and as the creature （！）
has not been wholly useless in the matter （I told you so！
A。M。） I propose to foster her vanity by a little
commemoration gift！ The name of the hero is Anne de St。 Yves
… he Englishes his name to St。 Ives during his escape。 It is
my idea to get a ring made which shall either represent ANNE
or A。 S。 Y。 A。； of course； would be Amethyst and S。 Sapphire；
which is my favourite stone anyway and was my father's before
me。 But what would the ex…Slade professor do about the
letter Y？ Or suppose he took the other version； how would he
meet the case； the two N。's？ These things are beyond my
knowledge； which it would perhaps be more descriptive to call
ignorance。 But I place the matter in the meanwhile under
your consideration and beg to hear your views。 I shall tell
you on some other occasion and when the A。M。 is out of
hearing how VERY much I propose to invest in this
testimonial； but I may as well inform you at once that I
intend it to be cheap； sir； damned cheap！ My idea of running
amanuenses is by praise； not pudding； flattery and not coins！
I shall send you when the time is ripe a ring to measure by。
To resume our sad tale。 After the other seven were almost
wholly recovered Henry lay down to influenza on his own
account。 He is but just better and it looks as though Fanny
were about to bring up the rear。 As for me； I am all right；
though I WAS reduced to dictating ANNE in the deaf and dumb
alphabet； which I think you will admit is a COMBLE。
Politics leave me extraordinary cold。 It seems that so much
of my purpose has come off； and Cedarcrantz and Pilsach are
sacked。 The rest of it has all gone to water。 The triple…
headed ass at home； in his plenitude of ignorance； prefers to
collect the taxes and scatter the Mataafas by force or the
threat of force。 It may succeed； and I suppose it will。 It
is none the less for that expensive； harsh； unpopular and
unsettling。 I am young enough to have been annoyed； and
altogether eject and renegate the whole idea of political
affairs。 Success in that field appears to be the
organisation of failure enlivened with defamation of
character； and； much as I love pickles and hot water （in your
true phrase） I shall take my pickles in future from Crosse
and Blackwell and my hot water with a dose of good Glenlivat。
Do not bother at all about the wall…papers。 We have had the
whole of our new house varnished； and it looks beautiful。 I
wish you could see the hall； poor room； it had to begin life
as an infirmary during our recent visitation； but it is
really a handsome comely place； and when we get the
furniture； and the pictures； and what is so very much more
decorative； the picture frames； will look sublime。
JAN。 30TH。
I have written to Charles asking for Rowlandson's Syntax and
Dance of Death out of our house； and begging for anything
about fashions and manners （fashions particularly） for 1814。
Can you help？ Both the Justice Clerk and St。 Ives fall in
that fated year。 Indeed I got into St。 Ives while going over
the Annual Register for the other。 There is a kind of fancy
list of Chaps。 of St。 Ives。 （It begins in Edinburgh Castle。）
I。 Story of a lion rampant （that was a toy he had made； and
given to a girl visitor）。 II。 Story of a pair of scissors。
III。 St。 Ives receives a bundle of money。 IV。 St。 Ives is
shown a house。 V。 The Escape。 VI。 The Cottage （Swanston
College）。 VII。 The Hen…house。 VIII。 Three is company and
four none。 IX。 The Drovers。 X。 The Great North Road。 XI。
Burchell Fenn。 XII。 The covered cart。 XIII。 The doctor。
XIV。 The Luddites。 V。 Set a thief to catch a thief。 XXVI。
M。 le Comte de Keroualle （his uncle； the rich EMIGRE； whom he
finds murdered）。 XVII。 The cousins。 XVIII。 Mr。 Sergeant
Garrow。 XIX。 A meeting at the Ship； Dover。 XX。 Diane。 XXI。
The Duke's Prejudices。 XXII。 The False Messenger。 XXIII。
The gardener's ladder。 XXIV。 The officers。 XXV。 Trouble
with the Duke。 XXVI。 Fouquet again。 XXVII。 The Aeronaut。
XXVIII。 The True…Blooded Yankee。 XXIX。 In France。 I don't
know where to stop。 Apropos； I want a book about Paris； and
the FIRST RETURN of the EMIGRES and all up to the CENT JOURS：
d'ye ken anything in my way？ I want in particular to know
about them and the Napoleonic functionaries and officers； and
to get the colour and some vital details of the business of
exchange of departments from one side to the other。 Ten
chapters are drafted； and VIII。 re…copied by me； but will
want another dressing for luck。 It is merely a story of
adventure； rambling along； but that is perhaps the guard that
'sets my genius best；' as Alan might have said。 I wish I
could feel as easy about the other！ But there； all novels
are a heavy burthen while they are doing； and a sensible
disappointment when they are done。
For God's sake； let me have a copy of the new German Samoa
White book。 R。 L。 S。
CHAPTER XXVI
AT SEA； S。S。 & MARIPOSA；
FEB。 19th； '93。
MY DEAR COLVIN； … You will see from this heading that I am
not dead yet nor likely to be。 I was pretty considerably out
of sorts； and that is indeed one reason why Fanny； Belle； and
I have started out for a month's lark。 To be quite exact； I
think it will be about five weeks before we get home。 We
shall stay between two and three in Sydney。 Already； though
we only sailed yesterday； I am feeling as fit as a fiddle。
Fanny ate a whole fowl for breakfast； to say nothing of a
tower of hot cakes。 Belle and I floored another hen betwixt
the pair of us； and I shall be no sooner done with the
present amanuensing racket than I shall put myself outside a
pint of Guinness。 If you think this looks like dying of
consumption in Apia I can only say I differ from you。 In the
matter of David； I have never yet received my proofs at all；
but shall certainly wait for your suggestions。 Certainly；
Chaps。 17 to 20 are the hitch； and I confess I hurried over
them with both wings spread。 This is doubtless what you
complain of。 Indeed； I placed my single reliance on Miss
Grant。 If she couldn't ferry me over； I felt I had to stay
there。
About ISLAND NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS all you say is highly
satisfactory。 Go in and win。
The extracts from the TIMES I really cannot trust myself to
comment upon。 They were infernally satisfactory； so； and
perhaps still more so； was a letter I had at the same time
from Lord Pembroke。 If I have time as I go through Auckland；
I