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_; _Là 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 Révolution_, 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 some time. 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; _Noughts and Crosses_ by Q.; Robertson's _Scotland under her Early Kings_.

_Sunday._--The deed is done, didst thou not hear a noise? "The end" has been written to this endless yarn, and I am once more a free man. What will he do with it?

TO SIDNEY COLVIN

_[Vailima] Monday, October 24th._

MY DEAR CARTHEW,[25]--See what I have written, but it's Colvin I'm after--I have written two chapters, about thirty pages of _Wrecker_ since the mail left, which must be my excuse, and the bother I've had with it is not to be imagined; you might have seen me the day before yesterday weighing British sov.'s and Chili dollars to arrange my treasure chest. And there was such a calculation, not for that only, but for the ship's position and distances when--but I am not going to tell you the yarn--and then, as my arithmetic is particularly lax, Lloyd had to go over all my calculations; and then, as I had changed the amount of money, he had to go over all _his_ as to the amount of the lay; and altogether, a bank could be run with less effusion of figures than it took to shore up a single chapter of a measly yarn. However, it's done, and I have but one more, or at the outside two, to do, and I am Free! and can do any damn thing I like.

Before falling on politics, I shall give you my day. Awoke somewhere about the first peep of day, came gradually to, and had a turn on the verandah before 5.55, when "the child" (an enormous Wallis Islander) brings me an orange; at 6, breakfast; 6.10, to work; which lasts till, at 10.30, Austin comes for his history lecture; this is rather dispiriting, but education must be gone about in faith--and charity, both of which pretty nigh failed me to-day about (of all things) Carthage; 11, luncheon; after luncheon in my mother's room, I read

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