t-- Somerset holds one end of the bets and I the
other. There are two bets: one that he will beat the mail to Chicago,
Somerset agreeing to consider the letter you give him to Bruce, as
equivalent to one coming from here. The other bet is that he will
deliver and get receipts from you, Nora and Bruce, and return here by
the 5th of April-- You and Bobby ought to be able to do well by him if
it becomes, as I say, so far public that there is no possibility of
further concealment-- You have my permission to do what you please-- He
is coming into my employ as soon as he gets back and as soon as the
company give him a medal.

Over here there is the greatest possible interest in the matter-- At
the Clubs I go to, the waiters all wait on me in order to have the
latest developments and when it was cabled over here that the Customs'
people intended stopping him, indignation raged at the Foreign office.

of love,

DICK.

89 Jermyn Street, S. W.

March--1899

DEAR NORA:

This is to be handed to you by my special messenger, who is to assure
you that I am in the best of health and spirits-- Keep him for a few
hours and then send him on to Chicago-- As he is doing this on a bet,
do not give him any written instructions only verbal ones. I am very
well and happy and send you all my love-- Jaggers has been running
errands for me ever since I came here, and a most loyal servitor when I
was ill-- On his return I want to keep him on as a buttons. See that
he gets plenty to eat-- If he comes back alive he will have broken the
messenger boy service record by three thousand miles. Personally, it
does not cost me anything to speak of. The dramatization of the
Soldiers continues briskly, and Maude is sending Grundy back the
Jackal, to have a second go at it. Maude insists on its being done--so
I stand to win a lot.

RICHARD.

Beefsteak Club, 9, Green Street,
Leicester Square, W. C. Tuesday.

March--1899.

DEAR MOTHER:--

The faithful Jaggers should have arrived to-day, or will do so this
evening-- I am sure you will make the poor little chap comfortable-- I
do regret having sent him on such a journey especially since the papers
here made such an infernal row over it-- However, neither of us will
lose by it in the end--

I dined with Lady Clarke last night and met Lord Castleton there and he
invited me up to Dublin for the Punchtown Races-- I have a great mind
to go and write a story on them-- Castleton is a grea