soon to begin.

I think I shall take Mr. Maddox's last offer, and if so, dear Hal,
farewell to my visit to St. Leonard's. But I am of the poor author's
mind, "Qu'il faut bien qu'on vive," and do not suppose that you will
answer me _a la Voltaire_, "Ma foi, je n'en vois pas la necessite."

It is very odd that it should seem so natural to one to live, and so
strange to die, since it is what everybody does. The fact is, habit is
the strongest thing in the world; and living is simply the oldest habit
we have, and so the strongest.

Good-bye, my dear, and believe me

Respectfully yours,
FANNY.

KING STREET, St. James's, Thursday, 10th.

... Mr. Maddox comes here, and worries my life out with haggling and
bargaining, but has not yet agreed to any terms, and I am half
distracted with all the various advice tendered me.... In the mean time,
I am much comforted about my readings; for I received yesterday morning
a very courteous letter from the Secretary of the Collegiate Institution
at Liverpool, offering me twenty guineas a night if I would go down and
read there six nights at the end of March. This I shall be thankful to
do, if my engagement at the Princess's Theatre falls through, and if it
does not I shall hope to be able to accept the Liverpool invitation
later in the season. I have had a visit, too, from one of the directors
of the Highgate Institute, to beg I would go and read there. They cannot
afford to give me more than ten guineas a night, the institute being a
small and not very rich one; but of course I do not expect to be paid
for reading as I am for acting, and therefore, whenever I can, shall
accept the Highgate offer.

These various proposals have put me in heart once more about the
possible success of this reading experiment, and I am altogether much
comforted at seeing that employment is not likely to fail me, which I
was beginning to fear it might.... Of course, if I apply for engagements
to managers, I must expect to take their terms, not to make my own--for
beggars must not be choosers, as I learnt long ago; and when I solicit
an engagement, I must be prepared to sell myself cheap--and I will. If
Maddox won't pay me what I ask, and Webster won't have me at any price,
I shall come to you and Dorothy, who, I "reckon," will take me on my own
terms: which in these my days of pro