下载辰思小说免费APP
Thisoughttohavegonelastmailandwasforgotten。MybestexcuseisthatIwasengagedinstartinganinfluenza，towhichclassofexploitourhouseholdhasbeensincethenentirelydedicated。Wehadeightcases，oneofthemverybad，andone-mine-complicatedwithmyoldfriendBluidyJack。LuckilyneitherFanny，LloydorBelletooktheconfoundedthing，andtheywereabletorunthehouseholdandnursethesicktoadmiration。
Someofourboysbehavedlikerealtrumps。PerhapstheprettiestperformancewasthatofourexcellentHenrySimele，or，aswesometimescallhim，DavyBalfour。Henry，Imaunpremeese，isachief；thehumblestSamoanrecoilsfromemptyingslopsasyouwouldfromcheatingatcards；nowthelastnightsofourbadtimewhenwehadsevendowntogether，itwasenoughtohavemadeanybodylaughorcrytoseeHenrygoingtheroundswithaslop-bucketandgoinginsidethemosquitonetofeachofthesick，ProtestantandCatholicalike，topraywiththem。
ImusttellyouthatinmysicknessIhadahugealleviationandbegananewstory。ThisIamwritingbydictation，andreallythinkitisanartIcanmanagetoacquire。Thereliefisbeyonddescription；itisjustlikeaschool-treattomeandtheamanuensisbearsupextraordinar’。ThestoryistobecalledST。IVES；Igiveyouyourchoicewhetherornotitshouldbearthesubtitle，’ExperiencesofaFrenchprisonerinEngland。’Wewerejustgettingonsplendidlywithit，whenthiscursedmailarrivedandrequirestobeattendedto。ItlookstomeverylikeasifSt。Iveswouldbereadybeforeanyoftheothers，butyouknowmeandhowimpossibleitisIshouldpredict。TheAmanuensishasherheadquiteturnedandbelievesherselftobetheauthorofthisnovel(andIStosomeextent)-andasthecreature(！)
hasnotbeenwhollyuselessinthematter(Itoldyouso！
A。M。)Iproposetofosterhervanitybyalittlecommemorationgift！ThenameoftheheroisAnnedeSt。Yves-heEnglisheshisnametoSt。Ivesduringhisescape。ItismyideatogetaringmadewhichshalleitherrepresentANNE
orA。S。Y。A。，ofcourse，wouldbeAmethystandS。Sapphire，whichismyfavouritestoneanywayandwasmyfather’sbeforeme。Butwhatwouldtheex-SladeprofessordoabouttheletterY？Orsupposehetooktheotherversion，howwouldhemeetthecase，thetwoN。’s？Thesethingsarebeyondmyknowledge，whichitwouldperhapsbemoredescriptivetocallignorance。ButIplacethematterinthemeanwhileunderyourconsiderationandbegtohearyourviews。IshalltellyouonsomeotheroccasionandwhentheA。M。isoutofhearinghowVERYmuchIproposetoinvestinthistestimonial；butImayaswellinformyouatoncethatI
intendittobecheap，sir，damnedcheap！Myideaofrunningamanuensesisbypraise，notpudding，flatteryandnotcoins！
Ishallsendyouwhenthetimeisripearingtomeasureby。
Toresumeoursadtale。AftertheothersevenwerealmostwhollyrecoveredHenrylaydowntoinfluenzaonhisownaccount。HeisbutjustbetteranditlooksasthoughFannywereabouttobringuptherear。Asforme，Iamallright，thoughIWASreducedtodictatingANNEinthedeafanddumbalphabet，whichIthinkyouwilladmitisaCOMBLE。
Politicsleavemeextraordinarycold。Itseemsthatsomuchofmypurposehascomeoff，andCedarcrantzandPilsacharesacked。Therestofithasallgonetowater。Thetriple-
headedassathome，inhisplenitudeofignorance，preferstocollectthetaxesandscattertheMataafasbyforceorthethreatofforce。Itmaysucceed，andIsupposeitwill。Itisnonethelessforthatexpensive，harsh，unpopularandunsettling。Iamyoungenoughtohavebeenannoyed，andaltogetherejectandrenegatethewholeideaofpoliticalaffairs。Successinthatfieldappearstobetheorganisationoffailureenlivenedwithdefamationofcharacter；and，muchasIlovepicklesandhotwater(inyourtruephrase)IshalltakemypicklesinfuturefromCrosseandBlackwellandmyhotwaterwithadoseofgoodGlenlivat。
Donotbotheratallaboutthewall-papers。Wehavehadthewholeofournewhousevarnished，anditlooksbeautiful。I
wish
