Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

64 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.
agent. There is no record of this conversation, but
its purport is easily divined from the letter that
follows :
—
J. Ballantyne to W. Blackwood.
Uh August 1816.
After the decisive conversation which we had on Saturday,
you may perhaps be surprised that I should again wish to
bring the subject before you. But, independently of my most
anxious desire that a thing which I continue as strongly as
ever to think would be mutually advantageous, should not be
blown away by a trifling delay—independently of this wish,
it is my duty to remove one important misconception under
which you appear to have long laboured, and this I am sure
I can accomplish although I should fail in everything else.
You appear to think, and I rather think you have distinctly
stated that you do so, that the author of the work of fiction has
wittingly or rather wilfully delayed putting the volume into
your hands " because he had views elsewhere," views which you
must suppose to have arisen after my first being empowered to
make an offer of the work to you. Now, if this was really the
case, it is undeniable that he would joyfully avail himself of
your rejection, and feel that he had accomplished the object
he was driving at. But so far is this from being the case, that
he desires me to express to you in the strongest terms his wish
not to change his publisher. His words are these : " The work
is now ready to go to the press ; and you will have the copy
in two days. The work will to a certainty be out in the
month of November, a period which I have always understood
to be the very best for publication. This I beg you
will state to Mr Blackwood distinctly and exphcitly; and
there is so much reason in the thing that I cannot but think
he will listen to it."
Such are the precise words of the author, and whatever
other impression they may produce on you, you will surely
admit that they at least prove beyond the possibility of denial
that he had and has no such views as you ascribe to him
that he does not wish to change his publishers ; and that he
;