Letter from Wilkie Collins, London, to Charles Dickens, Jr.,1877 January 29 : autograph manuscript signed.

Setting forth his understanding of their publishing agreement; saying "I will make time to write for you - and I will do my very best - for your sake, and in remembrance of old times that can never be forgotten by me. Turning to the business side of the matter, I accept your terms with pleasure - and I understand them to be these: I am to write you a story extending from thirty to thirty five columns of "All the Year Round" size. The copy is to be sent in not later than May next - and you are to have the right of publishing the story in your "extra number" only - on payment to me of One hundred pounds. On my side, I retain the copyright - and the right of authorising reprints and translations beyond the limits of Great Britain and Ireland - the United States of course being included in the rights of the author. As to reprinting, in book-form, here, the story will be too short to stand alone - and it will only be included in the next new volume of my collected works, after it has served its purpose in your pages;" adding, in a postscript, "One line to say that I rightly understand this proposal, and I will get to work." .