ThenallnightlongIwasbeingwakenedwithscaresthatreallyshouldbelookedinto，thoughIKNEWtherewasnothinginthemandnobottomtothewholestory；andthedrumsandshoutsandcriesfromTanugamanonoandthetownkeepingupanallnightcorybanticchorusinthemoonlight-themoonroselate-andthesearch-lightofthewar-shipintheharbourmakingajewelofbrightnessasitlitupthebayofApiainthedistance。Andthennextmorning，abouteighto’clock，adrumcomingoutofthewoodsandapartyofpatrolswhohadbeeninthewoodsonourleftfrontwhichisourtruerear
　　cominguptothehouse，andmeetingthereanotherpartywhohadbeeninthewoodsonourright{front/rear}whichisVaeaMountain，and43ofthembeingentertainedtoavaandbiscuitsontheverandah，andmarchingoffatlastinsinglefileforApia。Briefly，itisnotmuchwonderifyourletterandmywholemailwasleftatthecottage，andIhavenomeansofseeingoransweringparticulars。
　　Thewholethingwasnothingbutabottomlessscare；itwasOBVIOUSLYso；youcouldn’tmakeachildbelieveitwasanythingelse，butithasmadetheConsulssitup。Myownprivatescareswerereallyabominablyannoying；asforinstanceafterIhadgottosleepfortheninthtimeperhaps-andthatwasnoeasymattereither，forIhadacrickinmynecksoagonisingthatIhadtosleepsittingup-Iheardnoisesasofamanbeingmurderedintheboys’house。Tobesure，saidI，thisisnothingagain，butifaman’sheadwasbeingtaken，thenoiseswouldbethesame！SoIhadtogetup，stiflemycriesofagonyfromthecrick，getmyrevolver，andcreepoutstealthilytotheboys’house。Andthereweretwoofthemsittingup，keepingwatchoftheirownaccordlikegoodboys，andwhilingthetimeoveragameofSweepiCascino-thewhistofourislanders-andoneofthemwasourchampionidiot，Misifolo，andIsupposehewasholdingbadcards，andlosingallthetime-andthesenoiseswerehishumorousprotestsagainstFortune！
　　Well，excusethisexcursionintomy’blacksandchocolates。’
　　Itisthelast。YouwillhaveheardfromLysaghthowI
　　failedtowritelastmail。ThesaidLysaghtseemstomeaverynicefellow。Wewereonlysorryhecouldnotstaywithuslonger。Austincamebackfromschoollastweek，whichmadeagreattimefortheAmanuensis，youmaybesure。ThenonSaturday，theCURACOAcamein-samecommission，withallouroldfriends；andonSunday，asalreadymentioned，AustinandIwentdowntoserviceandhadlunchafterwardsinthewardroom。TheofficerswereawfullynicetoAustin；theyarethemostamiableshipintheworld；andafterlunchwehadapaperhandedroundonwhichweweretoguess，andsignourguess，ofthenumberofleavesonthepine-apple；Ineversawthisgamebefore，butitseemsitismuchpractisedintheQueen’sNavee。Whenallhavebetted，oneofthepartybeginstostripthepine-applehead，andthepersonwhoseguessisfurthestouthastopayforthesherry。MyequanimitywasdisturbedbyshoutsofTHEAMERICANCOMMODORE，andIfoundthatAustinhadenteredandlostaboutabottleofsherry！
　　Heturnedwithgreatcomposureandaddressedme。’IamafraidImustlooktoyou，UncleLouis。’TheSundaySchoolracketisonlyanexperimentwhichItookupattherequestofthelateAmericanLandCommissioner；Iamtryingitforamonth，andifIdoasillasIbelieve，andtheboysfinditonlyhalfastediousasIdo，Ithinkitwillendinamonth。
　　IhaveCARTEBLANCHE，andsaywhatIlike；butdoesanysinglesoulunderstandme？
　　Fannyisonthewholeverymuchbetter。Lloydhasbeenundertheweather，andgoesforamonthtotheSouthIslandofNewZealandforsomeskating，savethemark！IgetalltheskatingIwantamongofficials。
　　DearColvin，pleaserememberthatmylifepassesamongmy’blacksorchocolates。’IfIweretodoasyoupropose，inabitofatiff，itwouldcutyouoffentirelyfrommylife。
　　Youmusttrytoexerciseatrifleofimagination，andputyourself，perhapswithaneffort，intosomesortofsympathywiththesepeople，orhowamItowritetoyou？IthinkyouaretrulyalittletooCockneywithme-Everyours，ROBERTLOUISSTEVENSON。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-YourproposalsfortheEdinburgheditionareentirelytomymind。AbouttheAMATEUREMIGRANT，itshallgotoyoubythismailwellslashed。Ifyouliketoslashsomemoreonyourownaccount，Igiveyoupermission。
　　’Tisnotagreatwork；butsinceitgoestomakeupthetwofirstvolumesasproposed，Ipresumeithasnotbeenwritteninvain-MISCELLANIES。IseewithsomealarmtheproposaltoprintJUVENILIA；doesitnotseemtoyoutakingmyselfalittletoomuchasGrandfatherWilliam？IamcertainlynotsoyoungasIoncewas-aladytookoccasiontoremindmeofthefactnolateragonethanlastnight。’Whydon’tyouleavethattotheyoungmen，Mr。Stevenson？’saidshe-butwhenIrememberthatIfeltindignantatevenJohnRuskinwhenhedidsomethingofthekindIreallyfeelmyselfblushfromheadtoheel。Ifyouwanttomakeupthefirstvolume，thereareagoodmanyworkswhichItookthetroubletoprepareforpublicationandwhichhaveneverbeenrepublished。InadditiontoROADSandDANCINGCHILDREN，referredtobyyou，thereisanAutumneffectinthePORTFOLIO，andapaperonFONTAINEBLEAU-FORESTNOTESisthenameofit-inCORNHILL。Ihavenoobjectiontoanyofthesebeingedited，saywithascythe，andreproduced。ButI
　　heartilyabominateandrejecttheideaofreprintingthePENTLANDRISING。ForGod’ssakeletmegetburiedfirst。
　　TALESANDFANTASIES。Vols。I。andII。havemyheartyapproval。ButIthinkIII。andIV。hadbetterbecrammedintooneasyousuggest。Iwillreprintnoneofthestoriesmentioned。Theyarebelowthemark。Well，IdaresaythebeastlyBODY-SNATCHERhasmerit，andIamunjusttoitfrommyrecollectionsofthePALLMALL。Buttheothertwowon’tdo。Forvols。V。andVI。，nowchangedintoIV。andV。，I
　　proposethecommontitleofSOUTHSEAYARNS。There！Theseareallmydifferencesofopinion。Iagreewitheverydetailofyourarrangement，and，asyousee，myobjectionshaveturnedprincipallyonthequestionofhawkingunripefruit。
　　Idaresayitisallprettygreen，butthatisnoreasonforustofillthebarrowwithtrash。Thinkofhavinganewsetoftypecast，paperespeciallymade，etc。，inordertosetuprubbishthatisnotfitfortheSATURDAYSCOTSMAN。Itwouldbetheclimaxofshame。
　　Iamsendingyoualotofverses，whichhadbest，Ithink，becalledUNDERWOODSBookIII。，butinwhatorderaretheytogo？Also，Iamgoingoneverydayalittle，tillIgetsickofit，withtheattempttogettheEMIGRANTcompressedintolife；IknowIcan-oryoucanafterme-doit。Itisonlyaquestionoftimeandprayerandink，andshouldleavesomething，no，notgood，butnotallbad-averygenuineappreciationofthesefolks。YouaretorememberbesidesthereisthatpaperofmineonBunyaninTHEMAGAZINEOFART。
　　O，andthenthere’sanotherthinginSEELEYcalledsomespewsomename，Icannotrecallit。
　　Well-come，heregoesforJUVENILIA。DANCINGINFANTS，ROADS，ANAUTUMNEFFECT，FORESTNOTESbutthisshouldcomeattheendofthem，asit’sreallyratherriper，thet’otherthingfromSEELEY，andI’lltellyou，youmayputinmylettertotheChurchofScotland-it’snotwrittenamiss，andIdaresaythePHILOSOPHYOFUMBRELLASmightgoin，butthereIstick-andrememberTHATwasacollaborationwithJamesWalterFerrier。O，andtherewasalittleskitcalledtheCHARITYBAZAAR，whichyoumightsee；Idon’tthinkitwoulddo。Now，Idonotthinktherearetwootherwordsthatshouldbeprinted-Bytheway，thereisanarticleofminecalledTHEDAYAFTERTO-MORROWintheCONTEMPORARYwhichyoumightfindroomforsomewhere；itisno’bad。
　　Verybusywithalltheseaffairsandsomenativeonesalso。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，-Youaretopleaseunderstandthatmylastletteriswithdrawnunconditionally。YouandBaxterarehavingallthetroubleofthisEdition，andIsimplyputmyselfinyourhandsforyoutodowhatyoulikewithme，andIamsurethatwillbethebest，atanyrate。Henceyouaretoconceivemewithdrawingallobjectionstoyourprintinganythingyouplease。Afterallitisasortoffamilyaffair。AbouttheMiscellanySection，bothplansseemtomequitegood。Tossup。IthinktheOLDGARDENERhastostaywhereIputhimlast。ItwouldnotdotoseparateJohnandRobert。
　　Inshort，IamonlysorryIeverutteredawordabouttheedition，andleaveyoutobethejudge。Ihavehadavilecoldwhichhasprostratedmeformorethanafortnight，andevennowtearsmenightlywithspasmodiccoughs；butithasbeenagreatvictory。Ihaveneverborneacoldwithsolittlehurt；waittillthecloudsblowby，beforeyoubegintoboast！Ihavehadnofever；andthoughI’vebeenveryunhappy，itisnighover，Ithink。Ofcourse，ST。IVEShaspaidthepenalty。ImustnotletyoubedisappointedinST。
　　I。Itisameretissueofadventures；thecentralfigurenotverywellorverysharplydrawn；nophilosophy，nodestiny，toit；someofthehappeningsverygoodinthemselves，I
　　believe，butnoneofthemBILDENDE，noneofthemconstructive，exceptinsofarperhapsastheymakeupakindofshampictureofthetime，allinitalicsandalloutofdrawing。Hereandthere，Ithink，itiswellwritten；andhereandthereit’snot。Someoftheepisodiccharactersareamusing，Idobelieve；othersnot，Isuppose。However，theyarethebestofthethingsuchasitis。Ifithasamerittoit，Ishouldsayitwasasortofdeliberationandswingtothestyle，whichseemstometosuitthemail-coachesandpost-chaiseswithwhichitsoundsallthrough。’Tismymostprosaicbook。
　　IcalledonthetwoGermanshipsnowinport，andwearequitefriendlywiththem，andintenselyfriendlyofcoursewithourownCURACOAS。Butitisotherguessworkonthebeach。Someonehasemployed，orsubsidised，oneofthelocaleditorstoattackmeonceaweek。Heisprettyscurrilousandprettyfalse。ThefirsteffectoftheperusaloftheweeklyBeastistomakemeangry；thesecondisakindofdeep，goldencontentandglory，whenIseemtosaytopeople:’See！thisismyposition-Iamaplainmandwellinginthebushinahouse，andbeholdtheyhavetogetupthiskindoftruckagainstme-andIhavesomuchinfluencethattheyareobligedtowriteaweeklyarticletosayIhavenone。’
　　BythistimeyoumusthaveseenLysaghtandforgivenmetheletterthatcamenotatall。Hewasreallysoniceafellow-hehadsomuchtotellmeofMeredith-andthetimewassoshort-thatIgaveuptheinterveningdaysbetweenmailsentirelytoentertainhim。
　　Wegoonprettynicely。Fanny，Belle，andIhavehadtwomonthsalone，andithasbeenverypleasant。Butbyto-
　　morrowornextdaynoon，weshallseethewholeclanassembledagainaboutVailimatable，whichwillbepleasanttoo；sevenpersonsinall，andtheBabelofvoiceswillbeheardagaininthebighallsolongemptyandsilent。Good-
　　bye。Lovetoall。Timetoclose-Yoursever，R。L。S。