MS location unknown. This fragment printed in Romanes, Appreciation 68.
No. III. is in clover.1 I have had something of some sort almost every day lately, and am not at all afraid of the 60 pages.
. . . Sir Guy Morville considers himself much honoured by your invitation, and as much as there is or will be by that time of him shall attend you. It will be a real kindness to take him out of my reach, for he is such pleasant work as to spoil me for more regular business, but there is such a quantity of him all uncondensed and untrimmed that I am afraid you will repent. I hope you have not told Mrs. Butler the story beforehand, for I want much to know the sort of impression the story makes on a new person, and whether Philip is hated as much by those who know how he is to end.
As for Guy, he is seeking his fortune in London, and I expect every day to hear of his fate, so I hope it may not be long before he comes forth to all the world. He thanks you and Mrs. Butler for kindly inviting him. I don’t think it will be quite as much of a ‘Bustle’2 book as erst, for the last critical reading decided that there was rather too much Bustle, and he has been a little curtailed.
I am glad Mrs. Butler does not feel like one of our neighbours, who complained that she never would have read the book if she had known what it was coming to. I have had a great deal of pleasure out of it, I must say, and it has been very amusing to hear the different views that people have taken of Philip.
Now about Violet. She is much obliged and honoured by your invitation, but I wanted to tell you the state of the case. . . . She is in a very unfit state for being seen. . . . My opinion is that she is in great danger of being long and stupid, and I am trying to condense her.