Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

394 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
for his friend is exceedingly amusing. A week later
we find the following letter :
—
27 Sept. 1826.
I have, I believe, settled your business for you. The best
way in all these cases is to take the bull by the horns, and
accordingly, although I had no acquaintance with Col. Martin,
yet I called on him in his lodgings on Friday. He was not
at home. He lives at 16 Manchester Buildings. So I went
across to the Admiralty and wrote a hasty note, which I sent
to him. I said I was commissioned by you to call on him to
offer additional explanations to your letter of the 20th inst.,
and as I had not the good luck of meeting him, I concluded by
asking him to dine with me next day. This, of course, I did in
a jocular manner, apologising in a laughing way for the liberty.
I appointed the Somerset as the place of meeting, and accord-
ingly at six yesterday I found him there waiting for me. I in-
troduced myself at once, and immediately went to business.
I was under some embarrassment at first, in consequence
of his not having got your letter or Magazine; but by mere
chance I had your letter to me in my pocket, and I read him
the copy you sent me. He was very angry at first, but I out-
talked him. I shall make you laugh, I think, when I see you,
at our conversation ; but it would be no good to detail it. He
was anxious that I should tell him the name of the writer;
and I wish W. would let me. It would be quite safe in every
respect with the Colonel ; for queer as his manner undoubtedly
is, he is in every way a gentleman. This, of course, is for the
Prof, to consider. He will hear it from some channel ; and it
would be handsome, I think, if he had it from us.
He is savage against the 'Chronicle,' and particularly so
against Adolphus. There will be no action against you if he
can do without it, and I got him to agree with me that it was
not requisite to his cause against Clement to prosecute you.
As dinner progressed he got into greater good-humour with me,
and said that on my account he would be quite lenient with
you. On going away he said, as his final determination, that
he would wait till the next Magazine, and if what was said
there" was as described in the copy of your letter (which I gave