quite wrong, or, as friend J. F[errier] says, vrong[145] In the first place, I am to look on the mere fact of another author having treated a subject happily as a bird looks on a potato-bogle which scares it away from a field otherwise as free to its depredations as any one’s else!  In 2d place, I have taken a wide difference:  my object is not to excite fear of supernatural tilings in my reader, but to show the effect of such fear upon the agents in the story—­one a man of sense and firmness—­one a man unhinged by remorse—­one a stupid uninquiring clown—­one a learned and worthy, but superstitious divine.  In the third place, the book turns on this hinge, and cannot want it.  But I will try to insinuate the refutation of Aldiboronti’s exception into the prefatory matter.

From the 19th January to the 2d February inclusive is exactly fifteen days, during which time, with the intervention of some days’ idleness, to let imagination brood on the task a little, I have written a volume.  I think, for a bet, I could have done it in ten days.  Then I must have had no Court of Session to take me up two or three hours every morning, and dissipate my attention and powers of working for the rest of the day.  A volume, at cheapest, is worth L1000.  This is working at the rate of L24,000 a year; but then we must not bake buns faster than people have appetite to eat them.  They are not essential to the market, like potatoes.

John Gibson came to tell me in the evening that a meeting to-day had approved of the proposed trust.  I know not why, but the news gives me little concern.  I heard it as a party indifferent.  I remember hearing that Mandrin[146] testified some horror when he found himself bound alive on the wheel, and saw an executioner approach with a bar of iron to break his limbs.  After the second and third blow he fell a-laughing, and being asked the reason by his confessor, said he laughed at his own folly which had anticipated increased agony at every blow, when it was obvious that the first must have jarred and confounded the system of the nerves so much as to render the succeeding blows of little consequence.  I suppose it is so with the moral feelings; at least I could not bring myself to be anxious whether these matters were settled one way or another.

February 4.—­Wrote to Mr. Laidlaw to come to town upon Monday and see the trustees.  To farm or not to farm, that is the question.  With our careless habits, it were best, I think, to risk as little as possible.  Lady Scott will not exceed with ready money in her hand; but calculating on the produce of a farm is different, and neither she nor I are capable of that minute economy.  Two cows should be all we should keep.  But I find Lady S. inclines much for the four.  If she had her youthful activity, and could manage things, it would be well, and would amuse her.  But I fear it is too late a week.

Returned from Court by Constable’s, and found Cadell had fled to the sanctuary, being threatened with ultimate diligence by the Bank of Scotland.  If this be a vindictive movement, it is harsh, useless, and bad of them, and flight, on the contrary, seems no good sign on his part.  I hope he won’t prove his father or grandfather at Prestonpans:—­