My last night at Mentone. I cannot tell how strange and sad I feel. I
leave behind me a dear friend whom I have but little hope of seeing
again between the eyes.

To-day, I hadn't arranged all my plans till five o'clock: I hired a poor
old cabman, whose uncomfortable vehicle and sorry horse make everyone
despise him, and set off to get money and say farewells. It was a dark
misty evening; the mist was down over all the hills; the peach-trees in
beautiful pink bloom. Arranged my plans; that merits a word by the way
if I can be bothered. I have half arranged to go to Goettingen in summer
to a course of lectures. Galitzin is responsible for this. He tells me
the professor is to law what Darwin has been to Natural History, and I
should like to understand Roman Law and a knowledge of law is so
necessary for all I hope to do.

My poor old cabman; his one horse made me three-quarters of an hour too
late for dinner, but I had not the heart to discharge him and take
another. Poor soul, he was so pleased with his pourboire, I have made
Madame Zassetsky promise to employ him often; so he will be something
the better for me, little as he will know it.

I have read _Ordered South_; it is pretty decent I think, but poor,
stiff, limping stuff at best--not half so well straightened up as
_Roads_. However the stuff is good.

God help us all, this is a rough world: address Hotel St. Romain, rue
St. Roch, Paris. I draw the line: a chapter finished.--Ever your
faithful friend,

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

The line.
_______________________________

That bit of childishness has made me laugh, do you blame me?

FOOTNOTES:

[7] See Scott himself, in the preface to the Author's edition.

[8] _i.e._ on his book, _The Reign of Law_.

[9] Compare the paragraph in _Ordered South_ describing the state of
mind of the invalid doubtful of recovery, and ending: "He will pray
for Medea; when she comes, let her either rejuvenate or slay."

[10] Alluding to Heine's _Ritter von dem heiligen Geist_.

[11] _Poste Restante_

[12] Thomas M^cCrie, D.D., author of the _Life of John Knox_, _Life
of Andrew Melville_, etc.

III

STUDENT DAYS--_Concluded_

HOME AGAIN--LITERATURE AND LAW

MAY 1874--JUNE 1875

Returning to Edinburgh by way of Paris in May 1874, Stevenson went to
live with his parents at Swanston and Edinburgh and resumed his reading
for the Bar. Illness and absence had done their work,