L E T T E R S

377The whole matter was forgotten, therefore, until I received your letter beginningwith the words.Hence, I was worried, lest by some extraordinary chance Frederick shouldhave heard something from her side. And so I tried, as tactfully as possible, toengage him in conversation on this matter. But I came away convinced that heknew nothing at all about it.If he wrote anything like that you, it was, obviously, by way of a joke. Heswears most solemnly that he doesn’t even remember the incident. However, atmy insistence, he promised with equal solemnity that in the future he would bemore careful in his letters. Therefore, I expect that, according to your wish, thecase is closed.Returning to Miss Gill: You are still a knave, my brother if you have notwritten to her, as least for her peace, trumping up some kind of excuse, andoffering some imagined reason for rescinding your promise (on which, apparentlyshe is counting, and which she holds as binding). It is better to choose the lesser oftwo evils.And now, dear Anthony, you must help me in a similar matter. In yourletter you tell me that my wife is in good health, and that she is in Warsaw. Forthe love of God! 289289 The conclusion is lacking. The rough-draft on this letter is preserved in CRR: Mss 8627, pp.142-143.