n the
last letter, he looked quite grave. "Two pounds to pay,
sir!" he said. "_Extra weight_, sir!" (I think he
cheats a little, by the way. He often makes me pay two
_pounds_, when I think it should be _pence_). "Oh,
if you please, Mr. Postman!" I said, going down gracefully
on one knee (I wish you could see me go down on one knee to
a postman--it's a very pretty sight), "do excuse me just
this once! It's only from a little girl!"

"Only from a little girl!" he growled. "What are little
girls made of?" "Sugar and spice," I began to say, "and all
that's ni--" but he interrupted me. "No! I don't mean
_that_. I mean, what's the good of little girls, when
they send such heavy letters?" "Well, they're not
_much_ good, certainly," I said, rather sadly.

"Mind you don't get any more such letters," he said, "at
least, not from that particular little girl. _I know her
well, and she's a regular bad one!"_ That's not true, is
it? I don't believe he ever saw you, and you're not a bad
one, are you? However, I promised him we would send each
other _very_ few more letters--"Only two thousand four
hundred and seventy, or so," I said. "Oh!" he said, "a
little number like _that_ doesn't signify. What I meant
is, you mustn't send _many_."

So you see we must keep count now, and when we get to two
thousand four hundred and seventy, we mustn't write any
more, unless the postman gives us leave.

I sometimes wish I was back on the shore at Sandown; don't
you?

Your loving friend,

Lewis Carroll.

Why is a pig that has lost its tail like a little girl on
the sea-shore?

Because it says, "I should like another tale, please!"

Christ Church, Oxford, _July_ 21, 1876.

My dear Gertrude,--Explain to me how I am to enjoy Sandown
without _you_. How can I walk on the beach alone? How
can I sit all alone on those wooden steps? So you see, as I
shan't be able to do without you, you will have to come. If
Violet comes, I shall tell her to invite you to stay with
her, and then I shall come over in the Heather-Bell and
fetch you.

If I ever _do_ come over, I see I couldn't go back the
same day, so you will have to engage me a bed somewhere in
Swanage; and if you can't find one, I shall expect
_you_ to spend the night on the beach, and give up your
room t