no more, for I am sleepy after two nights, to quote my book,
"_sinon blanches, du moins grises_"; and so I must go to bed and
faithfully, hoggishly slumber.--Your faithful

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

TO SIDNEY COLVIN

On the advice of the Lord Advocate it had been agreed that Stevenson
should present himself for admission as a student at one of the
London Inns of Court and should come to town after the middle of
October to be examined for that purpose. The following two letters
refer to this purpose and to the formalities required for effecting
it:--

_[Edinburgh, Oct. 15, 1873], Wednesday._

MY DEAR COLVIN,--Of course I knew as well as you that I was merely
running before an illness; but I thought I should be in time to escape.
However I was knocked over on Monday night with a bad sore throat,
fever, rheumatism, and a threatening of pleurisy, which last is, I
think, gone. I still hope to be able to get away early next week, though
I am not very clear as to how I shall manage the journey. If I don't get
away on Wednesday at latest, I lose my excuse for going at all, and I do
wish to escape a little while.

I shall see about the form when I get home, which I hope will be
to-morrow (I was taken ill in a friend's house and have not yet been
moved).

How could a broken-down engineer expect to make anything of _Roads_.
Requiescant. When we get well (and if we get well), we shall do
something better.--Yours sincerely,

R. L. STEVENSON.

Ye couche of pain.

TO SIDNEY COLVIN

_[Edinburgh, October 16, 1873], Thursday._

MY DEAR COLVIN,--I am at my wits' end about this abominable form of
admission. I don't know what the devil it is; I haven't got one even if
I did, and so can't sign.

Monday night is the very earliest on which (even if I go on mending at
the very great pace I have made already) I can hope to be in London
myself. But possibly it is only intimation that requires to be made on
Tuesday morning; and one may possess oneself of a form of admission up
to the eleventh hour. I send herewith a letter which I must ask you to
cherish, as I count it a sort of talisman. Perhaps you may understand
it, I don't.

If you don't understand it, please do not trouble and we must just hope
that Tuesday morning will be early enough to do all. Of course I fear
the exam. will spin me; indeed after this bodily and spiritual crisis I
should not dream of coming up at all;