Hartford Feb. 15/81.
My Dear Howells:
I’m not going to have any further personal intercourse with Sir Gebbie. If he writes me again, I shall tell him that he may contract with me through Osgood if he can, but that I will not see him myself. I
If I did not tell Osgood about Gebbie’s plan I don’t know but that it would be legitimate for me to entertain the same plan coming to me from Osgood, (in case we arrive at no conclusion with Gebbie); but if Osgood heard of Gebbie’s plan through me, I judge that that would shut me out from entertaining that plan when coming from Osgood. It would be like betraying a confidence. It would be like Gebbie’s revealing to me the locality of a Captain Kidd deposit, & my sailing in with another fellow to dig it up.
The news about Winny is too bad, too bad. But you have done the wise thing, I think. We must canvass this thing when I come to Boston the 23d.
Yrs Ever
Mark.
Mighty glad you are out of that cussed mill, that gilded slavery.
Source text(s):Previous publication:
MTHL, 1:349–50.
Provenance:
See Howells Letters in Description of Provenance.
