Letter from Arthur Hallam, London, to William Henry Brookfield, 1832 May 29 : autograph manuscript signed.

Concerning a dunning letter he received from a Mr. Litchfield; saying "The very wretched state of mind, and frequent touches of illness, I have had since I saw you, must be my excuse, if you need one, that I have not written to you. And now I am in no writing mood : as soon as I am you shall hear form me. What is the use then, you will very naturally ask, of making you pay the postage for this scrap? It is as follows. I received this morning a dunning letter from Mr. Litchfield , for nine pound odd, which I have owed him the great part of the past eternity. I suppose I forgot to mention his name to you among the others. At any rate, I forget whether you told me anything about him. I don't feel as if I had a receipt from the snob, so I fear it must be a true bill. In case, however, you should have already paid it, I would fain know. In the probable event that you can give no such favourable answer, I wish you would put on your very blandest look, & declare to Mr. L., on my part, that my sorrow to hear of his maltreatment by me is only equalled by my surprise; that I fully thought he had been paid in a general commission to pay entrusted to a friend; (you needn't say it was yourself, unless you chuse); that I should be much obliged to him to wait rather more than a month longer, at which time I shall certainly be passing through Cambridge, and will have great pleasure in paying him. Should this not serve, put on another bland look, and entreat Garden & Monteith to take between them this debt on their hands, & they shall be paid, without fail, this summer. The fact is, I do not like just at this moment asking my governor for more money, which I must do, if i discharge this demand now. Write to me speedily, & tell me how you are, & whether there is any chance of seeing you."