LETTERS. 209 



4 miles from nearest station, Orpington. But I shall be in 

 London for a week on Nov^' ITth or ISth and could see you 

 then at any time, and perhaps you could come to luncheon. 



" But if you would prefer to come here, I shall be very 

 happy to see you either Saturday or Sunday, if you would let 

 me know hour.— I am, however, bound to tell you that my 

 health is always doubtful, and that my head does not allow 

 me to converse long with anyone. 



" With the most cordial sympathy in your undertaking, I 

 remain, my dear Sir, yours very faithfully, u q^ Darwin " 



In November, 1878, Darwin was in London, 

 staying at his daughter's house at 4, Bryanston 

 Street. On the 19th he wrote asking Meldola to 

 lunch to talk over the proposed English edition of 

 Weismann, and on the 25th sent the MS. of the 

 Preface with the following letter: — 



"4 Bryanston St., 

 " Nov. 25 [1878]. " Portman Sq''^ . 



" My dear Sir, — I send my little Preface, which I do not 

 at all like, but which I cannot improve. I should like here- 

 after to see it in type. Mr. Bates tells me that Hardwick and 

 Bohn of Piccadilly intend to go in for publishing solid books ; 

 and if your present publisher should change his mind : Mr. 

 Bohn might be worth applying to. 



" Yours sincerely, " Ch. Darwin." 



Professor Meldola then wrote, suggesting that 

 Darwin should, in his Preface, point out, by references 

 to the " Origin of Species " and his other writings, 

 how far he had already traced out the lines which 

 Weismann had pursued in his researches. The 

 suggestion was made because in a great many of 

 the Continental writings upon the theory of descent 



