I wish to know? In so little a while, I, and the
English language, and the bones of my descendants, will have ceased to
be a memory! And yet--and yet--one would like to leave an image for a
few years upon men's minds--for fun. This is a very dark frame of mind,
consequent on overwork and the conclusion of the excruciating _Ebb
Tide_. Adieu.

What do you suppose should be done with _The Ebb Tide_? It would make a
volume of 200 pp.; on the other hand, I might likely have some more
stories soon: _The Owl_, _Death in the Pot_, _The Sleeper Awakened_; all
these are possible. _The Owl_ might be half as long; _The Sleeper
Awakened_, ditto; _Death in the Pot_ a deal shorter, I believe. Then
there's the _Go-Between_, which is not impossible altogether. _The Owl_,
_The Sleeper Awakened_, and the _Go-Between_ end reasonably well; _Death
in the Pot_ is an ungodly massacre. O, well, _The Owl_ only ends well in
so far as some lovers come together, and nobody is killed at the
moment, but you know they are all doomed, they are Chouan fellows.[61]

_Friday, 9th._--Well, the mail is in; no Blue-book, depressing letter
from C.; a long, amusing ramble from my mother; vast masses of Romeike;
they _are_ going to war now; and what will that lead to? and what has
driven them to it but the persistent misconduct of these two officials?
I know I ought to rewrite the end of this bloody _Ebb Tide_: well, I
can't. _C'est plus fort que moi_; it has to go the way it is, and be
jowned to it! From what I make out of the reviews,[62] I think it would
be better not to republish _The Ebb Tide_: but keep it for other tales,
if they should turn up. Very amusing how the reviews pick out one story
and damn the rest! and it is always a different one. Be sure you send me
the article from Le Temps. Talking of which, ain't it manners in France
to acknowledge a dedication? I have never heard a word from Le Sieur
Bourget.

_Saturday, 17th._--Since I wrote this last, I have written a whole
chapter of my Grandfather, and read it to-night; it was on the whole
much appreciated, and I kind of hope it ain't bad myself. 'Tis a third
writing, but it wants a fourth. By next mail, I believe I might send you
3 chapters. That is to say _Family Annals_, _The Service of the Northern
Lights_, and _The Building of the Bell Rock._ Possibly even 4--_A
Houseful of Boys_. I could finish my Grandfather very easy now; my
father and Uncle Alan stop the way. I propose to call the book: