"8. St. James's Street, October 30. 1811.
"Sir,
"You must excuse my troubling you once more upon this very
unpleasant subject. It would be a satisfaction to me, and I should
think, to yourself, that the unopened letter in Mr. Hodgson's
possession (supposing it to prove your own) should be returned 'in
statu quo' to the writer; particularly as you expressed yourself
'not quite easy under the manner in which I had dwelt on its
miscarriage.'
"A few words more, and I shall not trouble you further. I felt, and
still feel, very much flattered by those parts of your
correspondence, which held out the prospect of our becoming
acquainted. If I did not meet them in the first instance as perhaps
I ought, let the situation I was placed in be my defence. You have
_now_ declared yourself _satisfied_, and on that point we are no
longer at issue. If, therefore, you still retain any wish to do me
the honour you hinted at, I shall be most happy to meet you, when,
where, and how you please, and I presume you will not attribute my
saying thus much to any unworthy motive. I have the honour to
remain," &c.
* * * * *
On receiving this letter, I went instantly to my friend, Mr. Rogers, who
was, at that time, on a visit at Holland House, and, for the first time,
informed him of the correspondence in which I had been engaged. With his
usual readiness to oblige and serve, he proposed that the meeting
between Lord Byron and myself should take place at his table, and
requested of me to convey to the noble Lord his wish, that he would do
him the honour of naming some day for that purpose. The following is
Lord Byron's answer to the note which I then wrote:--