be premature in me to undertake a serial now--I am not yet
qualified for the task: I have neither gained a sufficiently firm
footing with the public, nor do I possess sufficient confidence in
myself, nor can I boast those unflagging animal spirits, that even
command of the faculty of composition, which as you say, and, I am
persuaded, most justly, is an indispensable requisite to success in
serial literature. I decidedly feel that ere I change my ground I
had better make another venture in the three volume novel form.

'Respecting the plan of such a work, I have pondered it, but as yet
with very unsatisfactory results. Three commencements have I
essayed, but all three displease me. A few days since I looked over
_The Professor_. I found the beginning very feeble, the whole
narrative deficient in incident and in general attractiveness. Yet
the middle and latter portion of the work, all that relates to
Brussels, the Belgian school, etc., is as good as I can write: it
contains more pith, more substance, more reality, in my judgment,
than much of _Jane Eyre_. It gives, I think, a new view of a grade,
an occupation, and a class of characters--all very commonplace, very
insignificant in themselves, but not more so than the materials
composing that portion of _Jane Eyre_ which seems to please most
generally.

'My wish is to recast _The Professor_, add as well as I can what is
deficient, retrench some parts, develop others, and make of it a
three volume work--no easy task, I know, yet I trust not an
impracticable one.

'I have not forgotten that _The Professor_ was set aside in my
agreement with Messrs. Smith & Elder; therefore before I take any
step to execute the plan I have sketched, I should wish to have your
judgment on its wisdom. You read or looked over the Ms.--what
impression have you now respecting its worth? and what confidence
have you that I can make it better than it is?

'Feeling certain that from business reasons as well as from natural
integrity you will be quite candid with me, I esteem it a privilege
to be able thus to consult you.--Believe me, dear sir, yours
respectfully,

'C. BELL.

'_Wuthering Heights_ is, I suppose, at length published, at least Mr.
Newby has sent the authors their six