othing; it is just a "full close," which you may approach and
accompany as you please--it is a coda, not an essential member in the
rhythm; but the body and end of a short story is bone of the bone and
blood of the blood of the beginning. Well, I shall end by finishing it
against my judgment; that fragment is my Delilah. Golly, it's good. I am
not shining by modesty; but I do just love the colour and movement of
that piece so far as it goes.

I was surprised to hear of your fishing. And you saw the _Pharos_,[23]
thrice fortunate man; I wish I dared go home, I would ask the
Commissioners to take me round for old sake's sake, and see all my
family pictures once more from the Mull of Galloway to Unst. However,
all is arranged for our meeting in Ceylon, except the date and the
blooming pounds. I have heard of an exquisite hotel in the country,
airy, large rooms, good cookery, not dear; we shall have a couple of
months there, if we can make it out, and converse or--as my grandfather
always said--"commune." "Communings with Mr. Kennedy as to Lighthouse
Repairs." He was a fine old fellow, but a droll.

_Evening._--Lloyd has returned. Peace and war were played before his
eyes at heads or tails. A German was stopped with levelled guns; he
raised his whip; had it fallen, we might have been now in war. Excuses
were made by Mataafa himself. Doubtless the thing was done--I mean the
stopping of the German--a little to show off before Lloyd. Meanwhile
---- was up here, telling how the Chief Justice was really gone for five
or eight weeks, and begging me to write to the Times and denounce the
state of affairs; many strong reasons he advanced; and Lloyd and I have
been since his arrival and ----'s departure, near half an hour, debating
what should be done. Cedercrantz is gone; it is not my fault; he knows
my views on that point--alone of all points;--he leaves me with my mouth
sealed. Yet this is a nice thing that because he is guilty of a fresh
offence--his flight--the mouth of the only possible influential witness
should be closed? I do not like this argument. I look like a cad, if I
do in the man's absence what I could have done in a more manly manner in
his presence. True; but why did he go? It is his last sin. And I, who
like the man extremely--that is the word--I love his society--he is
intelligent, pleasant, even witty, a gentleman--and you know how that
attaches--I loathe to seem to play a base part; but the poor
natives--who a