I dare say I am unjust—­hasty certainly, in the other matter—­but all faults are such inasmuch as they are ’mistakes of the intellect’—­toads may spit or leave it alone,—­but if I ever see it right, exercising my intellect, to treat any human beings like my ’chattels’—­I shall pay for that mistake one day or another, I am convinced—­and I very much fear that you would soon discover what one fault of mine is, if you were to hear anyone assert such a right in my presence.

Well, I shall see you to-morrow—­had I better come a little later, I wonder?—­half-past three, for instance, staying, as last time, till ... ah, it is ill policy to count my treasure aloud!  Or shall I come at the usual time to-morrow?  If I do not hear, at the usual time!—­because, I think you would—­am sure you would have considered and suggested it, were it necessary.

Bless you, dearest—­ever your own.

I said nothing about that Mr. Russell and his proposition—­by all means, yes—­let him do more good with that noble, pathetic ’lay’—­and do not mind the ‘burthen,’ if he is peremptory—­so that he duly specify ’by the singer’—­with that precaution nothing but good can come of his using it.

E.B.B. to R.B.

Thursday.
[Post-mark, March 6, 1846.]

Ever dearest I lose no time in writing, you see, so as to be written to at the soonest—­and there is another reason which makes me hasten to write ... it is not all mercantile calculation.  I want you to understand me.

Now listen!  I seem to understand myself:  it seems to me that every word I ever said to you on one subject, is plainly referable to a class of feelings of which you could not complain ... could not.  But this is my impression; and yours is different:—­you do not understand, you do not see by my light, and perhaps it is natural that you should not, as we stand on different steps of the argument.  Still I, who said what I did, for you, and from an absorbing consideration of what was best for you, cannot consent, even out of anxiety for your futurity, to torment you now, to vex you by a form of speech which you persist in translating into a want of trust in you ... (I, want trust in you!!) into a need of more evidence about you from others ... (could you say so?) and even into an indisposition on my part to fulfil my engagement—­no, dearest dearest, it is not right of you.  And therefore, as you have these thoughts reasonably or unreasonably, I shall punish you for them at once, and ‘chain’ you ... (as you wish to be chained), chain you, rivet you—­do you feel how the little fine chain twists round and round you? do you hear the stroke of the riveting? and you may feel that too.  Now, it is done—­now, you are chained—­Bia has finished the work—­I, Ba! (observe the anagram!) and not a word do you say, of Prometheus, though you have the conscience of it all, I dare say.  Well!