第9章

Well，thereisgoldinthedust，whichisafineconsolation，since-well，Ican’thelpit；nightormorning，Idomydarndest，andifIcannotchargeformerit，Imuste’enchargefortoil，ofwhichIhaveplentyandplentymoreaheadbeforethiscupisdrained；sweatandhyssoparetheingredients。

WeareclearingfromCarruthers’Roadtothepigfence，twenty-eightpowerfulnativeswithCatholicmedalsabouttheirnecks，allswipinginlikeTrojans；longmaythesportcontinue！

Theinvoicetohand。Erethisgoesout，Ihopetoseeyourexpressive，butsurelynotbenignantcountenance！Adieu，O

cullerofoffensiveexpressions-’anda’-tobeaposytoyouraindearMay！’-Fannyseemsalittlerevivedagainafterherspasmofwork。Ourbooksandfurniturekeepslowlydraininguptheroad，inasadstateofscattermentanddisrepair；IwishthedevilhadhadK。byhisredbeardbeforehehadpackedmylibrary。Oddleavesandsheetsandboards-athingtomakeabibliomaniacshedtears-arefishedoutofoddcorners。ButIamnobibliomaniac，praiseHeaven，andIbearup，andrejoicewhenIfindanythingsafe。

However，Iworkedfivehoursonthebrute，andfinishedmyLetterallthesame，andcouldn’tsleeplastnightbyconsequence。Haven’thadabadnightsinceIdon’tknowwhen；dreamedalarge，handsomeman(aNewOrleansplanter)

hadinsultedmywife，and，dowhatIpleased，Icouldnotmakehimfightme；andwoketofinditwastheeleventhanniversaryofmymarriage。Aletterusuallytakesmefromaweektothreedays；butI’msometimestwodaysonapage-I

wasoncethree-andthenmyfriendskickme。C’EST-Y-BETE！

Iwishlettersofthatcharmingqualitycouldbesotimedastoarrivewhenafellowwasn’tworkingatthetruckinquestion；but，ofcourse，thatcan’tbe。Didnotgodownlastnight。Itshoweredallafternoon，andpouredheavyandloudallnight。

Youshouldhaveseenourtwenty-fivepopes(theSamoanphraseforaCatholic，layorcleric)squattingwhentheday’sworkwasdoneonthegroundoutsidetheverandah，andpouringintheraysofforty-eighteyesthroughthebackandthefrontdoorofthedining-room，whileHenryandIandthebosspopesignedthecontract。Thesecondboss(anoldman)woreakilt(asusual)andaBalmoralbonnetwithalittletartanedgingandthetailspulledoff。Itoldhimthathatbelongtomycountry-Sekotia；andhesaid，yes，thatwastheplacethathebelongedtorightenough。AndthenallthePapistslaughedtillthewoodsrang；hewasslashingawaywithacutlassashespoke。

Thepictureshavedecidedlynotcome；theymayprobablyarriveSunday。

SIR，-Toyou，underyourportrait，whichis，inexpression，yourtrue，breathingself，anduptonowsaddensme；intime，andsoon，Ishallbegladtohaveitthere；itisstillonlyareminderofyourabsence。Fannyweptwhenweunpackedit，andyouknowhowlittlesheisgiventothatmood；IwasscarceRomanmyself，butthatdoesnotcount-Iliftupmyvoicesoreadily。Thesearegoodcomplimentstotheartist。

Iwriteinthemidstofawreckofbooks，whichhavejustcomeup，andhaveforoncedefiedmylabourstogetstraight。

Thewholefloorisfilledwiththem，and(what’sworse)mostoftheshelvesforbye；andwheretheyaretogoto，andwhatistobecomeofthelibrarian，Godknows。Itishotto-

night，andhasbeenairlessallday，andIamoutofsorts，andmyworksticks，thedevilflyawaywithitandme。WehadanalarmofwarsincelastIwrotemyscreedstoyou，anditblewover，andistoblowonagain，andtherumourgoestheyaretobeginbykillingallthewhites。Ihavenobeliefinthis，andshouldbeinfinitelysorryifitcametopass-IdonotmeanforUS，thatwereotiose-butforthepoor，deludedschoolboys，whoshouldhopetogainbysuchastep。

Nodiarythistime。Why？youask。IhaveonlysentoutfourLetters，andtwochaptersoftheWRECKER。Yes，buttogettheseIhavewritten132pp。，66，000wordsinthirtydays；

2200wordsaday；thelaboursofanelephant。Godknowswhatit’slike，anddon’taskme，butnobodyshallsayIhavesparedpains。Ithoughtforsometimeitwouldn’tcomeatall。Iwasdaysanddaysoverthefirstletterofthelot-

daysanddayswritinganddeletingandmakingnoheadwaywhatever，tillIthoughtIshouldhavegonebust；butitcameatlastafterafashion，andtherestwentathoughtmoreeasily，thoughIamnotsofondastofancyanybetter。

YouropinionastothelettersasawholeissodamnatorythatIputthemby。Butthereisa’hellofawantof’moneythisyear。AndtheseGilbertIslandpapers，beingthemostinterestinginmatter，andformingacompactwhole，andbeingwellillustrated，Ididthinkofasapossibleresource。

ItwouldbecalledSIXMONTHSINMELANESIA，TWOISLANDKINGS，-MONARCHIES，GILBERTISLANDKINGS，-MONARCHIES，andIdaresayI’llthinkofabetteryet-andwoulddividethus:-

Iwishyoutowatchtheseclosely，judgingthemasawhole，andtreatingthemasIhaveaskedyou，andfavourmewithyourdamnatoryadvice。Ilookupatyourportrait，anditfrownsuponme。Youseemtoviewmewithreproach。Theexpressionisexcellent；Fannyweptwhenshesawit，andyouknowsheisnotgiventothemeltingmood。Sheseemsreallybetter；Ihaveatouchoffeveragain，Ifancyoverwork，andto-day，whenIhaveovertakenmyletters，Ishallblowonmypipe。TellMrs。S。IhavebeenplayingLECHANTD’AMOUR

lately，andhavearrangedit，afterawfultrouble，ratherprettilyfortwopipes；anditbroughtherbeforemewithaneffectscarceshortofhallucination。Icouldhearhervoiceineverynote；yetIhadforgottheairentirely，andbegantopipeitfromnotesassomethingnew，whenIwasbroughtupwitharoundturnbythisreminiscence。Wearenowverymuchinstalled；thedining-roomisdone，andlookslovely。Soonweshallbegintophotographandsendyouourcircumstances。

Myroomisstillahowlingwilderness。Isleeponaplatforminawindow，andstrikemymosquitobarandrollupmybedclotheseverymorning，sothatthebedbecomesbydayadivan。Agreatpartofthefloorisknee-deepinbooks，yetnearlyalltheshelvesarefilled，alas！Itisaplacetomakeapigrecoil，yetherearemyinterminablelaboursbegundailybylamp-light，andsometimesnotyetdonewhenthelamphasoncemoretobelighted。Theeffectofpicturesinthisplaceissurprising。Theygivegreatpleasure。

Awordmore。Ihadmybreakfastthismorningat4。30！Mynewcookhasbeatenmeand(asLloydsays)revengedallthecooksintheworld。IhavebeenhuntingthemtogivemebreakfastearlysinceIwastwenty；andnowherecomesMr。

Ratke，andIhavetopleadformercy。Icannotstand4。30；I

amamerefeveredwreck；itisnowhalf-pasteight，andIcannomore，andfourhoursdividemefromlunch，thedeviltaketheman！Yesterdayitwasabout5。30，whichIcanstand；daybefore5，whichisbadenough；to-day，Igiveout。ItislikeaLondonseason，andasIdonottakeasiestaonceinamonth，andthenonlyfiveminutes，Iambeingworntothebones，andlookagedandanxious。

WehaveRiderHaggard’sbrotherhereasaLandCommissioner；

anicekindofafellow；indeed，allthethreeLandCommissionersareveryagreeable。

MYDEARCOLVIN，-YoursfromLochinverhasjustcome。YouaskmeifIameverhomesickfortheHighlandsandtheIsles。

ConceivethatforthelastmonthIhavebeenlivingtherebetween1786and1850，inmygrandfather’sdiariesandletters。IHADtotakearest；nousetalking；soIputinamonthovermyLIVESOFTHESTEVENSONSwithgreatpleasureandprofitandsomeadvance；onechapterandapartdrafted。ThewholepromiseswellChapterI。DomesticAnnals。ChapterII。

TheNorthernLights。ChapterIII。TheBellRock。ChapterIV。AFamilyofBoys。Chap。V。TheGrandfather。VI。AlanStevenson。VII。ThomasStevenson。Mymaterialsformygreat-grandfatherarealmostnull；formygrandfathercopiousandexcellent。Name，apuzzle。ASCOTTISHFAMILY，AFAMILY

OFENGINEERS，NORTHERNLIGHTS，THEENGINEERSOFTHENORTHERN

LIGHTS:AFAMILYHISTORY。Advise；butitwilltakelong。

Now，imagineifIhavebeenhomesickforBarraheadandIslandGlass，andKirkwall，andCapeWrath，andtheWellsofthePentlandFirth；Icouldhavewept。

Nowforpolitics。Iammuchlessalarmed；IbelievetheMALO