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Private.

My dearest Friend,

Please pardon me for troubling you with my own business — but though I am forced by the Chohan to answer I really do not know whether I am within the limits of your code of politeness or outside of it — I have a long letter to write to you upon something that troubles me and I want you to advise me. I am in a most disagreeable position placed as I am between the risk of betraying a friend and — your code of honour (the friend is not yourself.) I hope I may place an entire confidence in your personal friendship and of course honour.

Honour! What funny very funny notions you seem to have about that sacred thing! Do not be frightened for indeed the whole thing is more ludicrous than dangerous. Yet there is a danger in losing Mr. Hume.

To-morrow I will write more fully. Fern is a little ass but he is a clairvoyant and likewise a little hallucinated. But Mr. H. is too severe upon him. The boy hopes that if we are myths