still desirous to acquire one-half of the property of this
part of the work, which is chiefly my own. He proposes assembling all my
detached works of fiction and articles in Annuals, so that the whole,
supposing I write, as is proposed, six new volumes, will run the
collection to fifty, when it is time to close it. Between cash advanced
on this property, and a profit on the sale of the second part, Mr.
Cadell thinks, having taken a year or two years' time, to gather a
little wind into the bag, I will be able to pay, on my part, a further
sum of L30,000, or the moiety remaining of the whole debts, amounting
now to less than L60,000.

Should this happy period arrive in or about the year 1832 the heavy work
will be wellnigh finished. Tor, although L30,000 will still remain, yet
there is L20,000 actually secured upon my life, and the remaining
L10,000 is set against the sale of _Waverley_, which shall have been
issued; besides which there is the whole Poetry, _Bonaparte_, and
several other articles, equally [available] in a short time to pay up
the balance, and afford a very large reversion.

This view cannot be absolutely certain, but it is highly probable, and
is calculated in the manner in which Building Schemes [are dealt with],
and is not merely visionary. The year 1833 may probably see me again in
possession of my estate.

A circumstance of great consequence to my habits and comforts was my
being released from the Court of Session on November 1830 (18th day). My
salary, which was L1300, was reduced to L840. My friends, just then
leaving office, were desirous to patch up the deficiency with a pension.
I do not see well how they could do this without being exposed to
obloquy, which they shall not be on my account. Besides, though L500 a
year is a round sum, yet I would rather be independent than I would have
it.

My kind friend the Lord Chief Commissioner offered to interfere to have
me named a Privy Councillor; but besides that when one is poor he ought
to avoid taking rank, I would be much happier if I thought any act of
kindness was done to help forward Charles; and, having said so much, I
made my bow, and declared my purpose of remaining satisfied with the
article of my knighthood. And here I am, for the rest of my life I
suppose, with a competent income, which I can [increase].

All this is rather pleasing, nor have I the least doubt that I could
make myself easy by literary labour. But much of it looks like