I arrived in town yesterday and found your letter at the Stock Exchange.
It is very uncertain whether I shall leave London to-morrow evening or
Monday evening. I am desirous of getting home on many accounts, but I
may not be able to accomplish the business for which I came so soon as
I expected, and, if I do not get it done by to-morrow it will in all
probability detain me till Monday. Thus then it is still uncertain
whether we are to meet, and I do not exactly know how to make you
acquainted with my movements. I will, however, let Mr. Murray know if I
leave town to-morrow, and, if you are in the neighbourhood of Russell
Square, by sending to No. 8, Montague Street (Mr. Basevi's), you will be
sure to know. In the City, at the Stock Exchange, any of my brothers
will inform you about me. If I should not be gone, will you do me the
favour of dining with me on Friday at Mr. Basevi's? His dinner hour is
six o'clock, and he begs me to say that he shall be much flattered by
your favouring him with your company. I was in hopes of finding you in
London and of having the benefit of your opinion of my book[124] in its
present state, before I sent it to be printed. That advantage I must now
forego, because I am desirous of getting it out before the meeting of
Parliament, and have before experienced the inconvenience of too much
hurry.
I cannot think it inconsistent to suppose that the money price of
labour may rise when it is necessary to cultivate poorer land, whilst
the real price may at the same time fall. Two opposite causes are
influencing the price of labour, one the enhanced price of some of the
things on which wages are expended, the other the fewer enjoyments which
the labourer will have the power to command. You think these may balance
each other, or rather that the latter will prevail; I on the contrary
think the former the most powerful in its effects. I must write a book
to convince you.