Autograph letter signed : Bexleyheath [London], to Chatto & Windus, 1886 December 31.

Writing to say that he would refer a possible translator for his novel, Son of Hagar, to them; noting that if Harper's should raise some difficulty over the book, Appleton's might like it, although "Harper' s asked for it, after seeing newspaper slips"; objecting to the resulting rhyme in the proposed title of his novel (i.e. Son of Hagar : a romance of our time, by Hall Caine, author of The shadow of a crime") and suggesting that they remove "author of The shadow of a crime"; returning the preface with some changes and asking to see the revised copy, as he would like the "Preface and Dedication to be impeccable"; informing them of Mr. Ferrar Fenton's proposal to write a piece on Caine's novel, contrasting them with George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Blackmore, etc., and noting Mr. Fenton's claims to have known the real protagonists of Eliot's Adam Bede: "He says, 'I knew the real Adam intimately, & Mr. & Mrs. Poyser I also knew. Seth was my companion. George Eliot varied the facts a good deal.' One very interesting thing that Mr. Fenton says is that Mrs. Poyser's sharp sayings were the original Mrs. P's & not her author's. I don't know if such an article would suit the Gentleman's magazine. Being an article intended to do me honour I press it upon you".