He has now fully explained himself to me,
with liberty to inform you of anything he has communicated. This,
however, he entreats of us to keep most strictly to ourselves, trusting
to our honour that we will not breathe a syllable of it to the dearest
friends we have.
He began by telling me that he thought he had it now in his power to
show me how sensible he was of the services I had done him, and how
anxious he was to accomplish that union of interests which I had so long
been endeavouring to bring about. Till now he had only made professions;
now he would act. He said that he was empowered to offer me, along with
you, a work of fiction in four volumes, such as Waverley, etc.; that he
had read a considerable part of it; and, knowing the plan of the whole,
he could answer for its being a production of the very first class; but
that he was not at liberty to mention its title, nor was he at liberty
to 'give the author's name. I naturally asked him, was it by the author
of "Waverley"? He said it was to have no reference to any other work
whatever, and everyone would be at liberty to form their own conjectures
as to the author.
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