My dear Christabel

I should like of all things to have the dear Fernando, but alas! I don’t see a scrap of room for him before Christmas Orina will last till the summer Our Young ladies till Christmas, Magnum Bonum 2 years - (I fear) Then Miss R N Carey begins a long story in July, and I can't see a chink to put any thing in till Our Young Ladies are ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Curteis

First I must tell you of what perhaps you have seen in the Guardian, my dear Miss Dyson’s death. She had been growing feebler and feebler for the last two years and had for months been wholly confined to bed, and unable to read even a letter, though she was constantly read to for the last fortnight she was almost unconscious, and slept herself away. She leaves a great blank behind her!

I ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many, many thanks for prompt payment, an agreeable sight on a winter’s morning I think the story in the Monthly Packet will finish there about next spring It is not longer than the Three Brides, but has been in short chapters. I have not finished writing it yet, but the beginning may be printed when it is convenient. I am correcting the Moors and Christians gradually, and will send the result ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I hope my sending the corrections on this pirated American copy of the ‘Christians and Moors’ is not inconvenient; they sent me a dozen, and I preferred sacrificing one to doing so from /with my own last copy

The lists at the end must not however be used to print from as the Americans have massed them together with a fine disregard of chronology

I have I hope corrected the careless blunders, It is ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Old proofs of these Christmas stories have fortunately been discovered so I send them off herewith.

I find I must ask you to be kind enough to let me have £200 on account, or else £100 now and another £100 before Christmas. There have been some unexpected calls upon me which drive me to ask this favour of you, though I am sorry to have to do so so early in the year

Yours ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

There is a new volume of Cameos just ready to come out, ending at Queen Elizabeth’s death. I suppose it must be called ‘Wars of the Reformation’ I do not like the term Wars of Religion.

I am also finishing off Stray Pearls, which will be completed in the Monthly Packet in June, in 32 or 33 chapters - so I suppose it may come out about that time.

It is a sort of continuation ... continue reading

Dear Sir

I am obliged for your letter, which confirms the view I have had for many years that it is not possible for a person of a different nationality to draw a thorough portrait of one described from within, as it were. You remember that in dealing with foreign scenes, Scott always took a Scotch or English hero - in whose person he saw all the surroundings

In fact I have never had any intimate knowledge ... continue reading

Dear Madam As far as I can remember the first four tales were Redclyffe Heartsease Hopes and Fears Dynevor Terrace

because I meant them to have some sort of analogy to the four seasons

The Daisy Chain Trial are really connected, and the Pillars of the House came later but picked up on Countess Kate and the Daisy Chain in the course of the story -

Scenes and Characters had been written long before, but was taken up again in [[cmybook:184]Two Sides of ... continue reading

My dear Mary I remember Charles Archer at Winchester and he once or twice called on me. Harward and Fulbert must be nearly the only ones left except Mrs Tolcher. I think Fulbert was a little while at Winchester. I sent you my idea of the insulted sufferer on a card yesterday I thought at first of Zechariah the son of Jehoiader, but that did not quite to suit and I do ... continue reading