Autograph letter signed : Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, to [Sydney] Pawling, 1897 November 5.

Following up an apologetic postcard he previously sent to Pawling seeking to excuse the contents of a letter he wrote in which he evidently complained about the publication agreement worked out for his novel The Nigger of the "Narcissus", and assuring Pawling that there is no one he would rather work with as an author; assuring him that he "shall not make any alteration in the agreement", and that his momentary resentment has passed and he may now "shut my door and work", as, "It is the writing I love - not the selling. And I trust the selling is over for life ... all I stipulate is a year's notice whenever you wish to end that unwritten agreement. ... I shall do the best I can in the way of work and you shall do the best you can for me"; stating that he regards the American agreement as a good one, "considering my miserable standing over there", thanking him for a check and sending him a receipt, thanking him for sending a copy of his novel and requesting six gratis copies to distribute to his friends, including Henry James ("dear old James"); mentioning that he will be meeting with Pawling on Wednesday, when he is to be introduced to Stephen Crane; saying, in a postscript, that he will not write to W.E. Henley regarding alterations to his novel, as "he would never understand my feelings ... It is like touching raw flesh. He would only think me cheeky, while mentally I am always hat in hand to him."