"Mr. Hunt has been at my office an hour, talking of you, etc. He at
first said you had written him for copies of your letters; that he
is taking account of stock and could not possibly have them copied
at present, and wished, if I were writing you, that I would say so.
I said, why not inclose the letters to M. N., and ask her to return
them if you want them. He said he would. He seems worried about the
matter, and said, 'If I only could know what M. N. wants, I would do
anything to satisfy her.' I said, 'I have done all I could to prevent a
final breach between you. From all I could learn, I thought M. N. had
not received what she was entitled to. Everybody to whom we referred
expressed this opinion. Nobody suggested that less than ten per cent.
was right, and you allow her six and two thirds, and seven and one
half. Her conclusion was inevitable, that you had not done right, etc.'
He replied with various abstractions as to how authors forgot the
various expenses, etc.
"I told him you felt hurt that he did not notice your letters asking
explanation. He said he wrote you to come and see him, and he would
have gone to you had you suggested it. I said what I should have done,
was to see you and explain the matter, and not allow it to rest so for
weeks, as if it were a matter of indifference, etc. Finally I told him
what I advised you, to wait for their next account, and see whether
they would not, now that high prices have to some extent passed by,
allow a further percentage; and that I suggested to you to write them,
or allow me to, saying that it was hoped they might make their future
accounts more satisfactory. He made no reply. I mentioned that you
really felt that the 'Adriatic' was your proper avenue to the public,
and had a paper now that you hardly knew what to do with. He said,
'All she has to do is to send it along.' Well, all this talk came to
nothing. The only fact that at all modifies my views is, that A., B.,
and the rest, seem to be treated the same, and that is a surprise to
me, and takes off in a measure the c---- of taking advantage of female
weakness. Ahem!"