"As I wrote to you yesterday, the business ought to have been closed three days ago, for though I think. Mr. Gladstone's stipulation wrong, it ought not to have been allowed to interfere with a final arrangement. "I agree with you that the new phrase about an 'uncovered loan' is not very intelligible, but I put the same interpretation upon it that you do. "I am not without hope that whilst I am writing some 'leeway' may have been recovered through Sir F. Rogers and Mr. Anderson, but, as the best thing I can do, I propose this: "I _ought_ to go down to Surrey, to attend Mrs. Hope's funeral on Thursday morning, but being far from well, I was inclined to excuse myself from so long a railway journey, which I find injurious, but my decision is altered by your difficulty. I will be at Thomas' Hotel to- morrow night at 10 o'clock, if you can meet me at that time, and if you like to appoint Howe and Tilley a quarter of an hour later, I will see them and discuss what we ought to do. "I feel very confident we can yet set matters right, if we can only prevent Mr. Sicotte upsetting the coach. "I cannot see you on Thursday, as, being in London, I must go by the 9 a.m. train to attend the funeral at Deep Dene, and I may be late in returning to town in the evening. "I am, yours sincerely, "NEWCASTLE." _Memorandum from my diary of 10th December, 1862._ "To the Duke (_of Newcastle_), at 10 p.m.--(Thomas Hotel), by request. Saw Howe (_representing Nova Scotia_), and Tilley (_representing New Brunswick_)after. Very satisfactory. Duke said Gladstone had expressed strong approval of Pacific, &c. affair--and had added, 'that it was one of the grandest affairs ever conceived, and he hoped it would be completed in Duke's time--and it should have his hearty support.' Good." Messrs. Sicotte and Rowland suddenly went home, and we appeared to be at a dead lock. After several letters and suggestions, the Duke sent me this letter:-- "CLUMBER, "6 _Jany_. 1863. "MY DEAR SIR, "I have received several letters from you without sending any answer; but I must confess I am so disheartened about the result of all the trouble I have taken with the 'delegates,' that I do not know how to proceed, or, rather, I do not see the possibility of proceeding at all.