nd address. I do not know how to express to you sufficiently, Sir,
the desire I have to serve you and to deserve a place in your
thoughts."

About fifteen days after, I replied to this letter as follows.

"Sir,

"The letter with which you honored me, dated 23d of June, has given me
the assurance, which was needed to console me for the disappointments
that have detained me here. Perhaps I shall be at the Hague on Sunday
morning. Be assured, Sir, that if anything comes to my knowledge
worthy of your attention, you shall be informed of it immediately. I
have no reason to expect soon to receive news directly. I have written
two letters by two different vessels, that have sailed from Amsterdam
for St Eustatia; and I expect when another vessel departs to despatch
a third. Before I have an answer much time will pass, and in this time
many events. There is, however, a man charged with some commission on
their part, to whom they have given my address at Leyden; and I have
received two letters from that city, the one of the 21st of May, the
other of the 11th of June, in which they pray me to render him
service. This is all that I know of him, for the man has not yet
appeared.

"The more I am favored with your letters, Sir, the more I wish to
deserve your good opinion. In the meantime, I ought to be on my guard
against too much presumption, and to think how natural it is to give a
gracious reception to the servant for the love of the master. I own
to you, Sir, that in giving an account to the Doctor and his friends
of our correspondence, I have thought proper to forewarn them thereon.
They will be informed of the obliging interest with which you ask news
of them. I hope that the time will come, when you will be able to
permit me to reveal your name.

"After having thought long and much, it seems to me, that in order to
answer completely their intention, I ought to present myself also to
the _Hotel d'Espagne_, to be known there simply as charged with such a
commission, to open to myself thereby ways of serving my constituents
on diverse occasions, which may present themselves at one moment or
another, and not incur the blame, which may be reflected even on these
gentlemen, of having neglected a power so worthy of their efforts. For
the rest, I shall not do or say anything in this respect till I have
had the honor of seeing you, Sir, and I pray you to believe that I
shall observe scrupulously, the conduct and the discretio