which took place on My Land, Sir. To-morrow we shall bury
the bones and fire a salute in honour of unfortunate courage.

Do you think I have an empty life? or that a man jogging to
his club has so much to interest and amuse him? - touch and
try him too, but that goes along with the others: no pain, no
pleasure, is the iron law. So here I stop again, and leave,
as I left yesterday, my political business untouched. And
lo! here comes my pupil, I believe, so I stop in time.


MARCH 2ND.


Since I last wrote, fifteen chapters of DAVID BALFOUR have
been drafted, and five TIRES AU CLAIR. I think it pretty
good; there's a blooming maiden that costs anxiety - she is
as virginal as billy; but David seems there and alive, and
the Lord Advocate is good, and so I think is an episodic
appearance of the Master of Lovat. In Chapter XVII. I shall
get David abroad - Alan went already in Chapter XII. The
book should be about the length of KIDNAPPED; this early part
of it, about D.'s evidence in the Appin case, is more of a
story than anything in KIDNAPPED, but there is no doubt there
comes a break in the middle, and the tale is practically in
two divisions. In the first James More and the M'Gregors,
and Catriona, only show; in the second, the Appin case being
disposed of, and James Stewart hung, they rule the roast and
usurp the interest - should there be any left. Why did I
take up DAVID BALFOUR? I don't know. A sudden passion.