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SHOTOVER EDGE, HEADINGTON, OXFORD.
June 29. 1921
Dear Mr Buchan.
Your letter is immensely encouraging, and will be hailed by my wife, now away, who says she would rather have your opinion than anybody's.
I take your point about the Rumbelow speech. It is too artificial and needs pruning of excrescences. But something of the kind is required to open the way for what follows in succeeding Legends where Rumbelow gets to business on practical-impractical lines.
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I have thought, and now think, that it would be wise to include two new chapters, of what is already written, in the first section, under the mad millionaire Legend. They will be better there than under the Legend of Margaret Wolfstone, where I had placed them, will gather up the ragged edges, and make the two volumes about equal in size. The presence of these two additional chapters will make all the difference to the effect of the Rumbelow 'speech'.
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Your suggestion about Hodder & Stoughton appeals to me strongly. I like the Firm and its methods. I know a man named Murrell who was and still may be a manager of some sort. Some time ago he asked me to give the Firm a book and I gave him a generally affirmative answer.
So, since you are good enough to offer it, I shall be most glad and grateful if you will bring the matter before H. & S. In truth it is wonderfully kind of you
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to do this.
There is a chance that I may come to the Fête at Elsfield tomorrow and bring my pretty niece. But I am going to Loch Sunart on Friday morning for a month & the pressure of clearing up may prevent me coming. But I shall, if I can.
Yours very sincerely
L.P. Jacks.
P.S. I doubt if I have any power over the publishing rights in the other stories. I will look into the matter. The stories are now published in a "cheap" edition, about as badly got up as it could be.
