Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

82 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
paid him at the period I told him the edition would be ready.
You will thus see that the disappointment would have a more
extensive influence than with regard to the paper only. You
will recollect that, previously to the ordering of this edition, I
wrote to you that the author had stipulated that the bills for
his profits should be granted at 6 instead of 12 months, renew-
able at your expense for 6 months longer. Now he is willing
to agree to take bills at 9 in place of 6 months, in order to give
full time for the sale of the remaining books in hand. This you
will observe has the same effect as if I had taken five months
to print the work, which assuredly would not have been hurry-
ing it. As the author's instructions are full and precise to the
above effect, I shall hope to have the pleasure of hearing from
you as soon as possible upon the subject.
Mr Blackwood replied :
—
I shall communicate to Mr Murray the contents of your letter
of yesterday, which I have just received, and as soon as I hear
from him will let you know the result of our deliberation. I
would also beg the favour of you to assure the author that
nothing would give me more pain (and I may say the same of
Mr Murray) than putting him to any inconvenience. You have
never had an hour to wait for a settlement hitherto, and I hope
he will do me the justice to believe that he will not have any
reason for complaint in our further transactions.
To this Ballantyne answers, acknowledging fully
that he has never had to wait an hour for a settlement
; and there abruptly the discussion ends for the
time. Whether the sale quickened again so as to
make the postponement unnecessary, or the publishers
preferred to risk a possible loss rather than endanger
their connection with " the author," we are not in-
formed. But, at all events, the fourth edition, though
considered by Messrs Blackwood and Murray as unduly
hurried, was eventually published by them, and
things went on quietly until more than a year later.