V " DARKEST ENGLAND " SCHEME 309 



"Dear Mr. Stead,— I charge Mr. Bramwell 

 Booth with nothing. I simply quote the ' Times ' 

 report, the accuracy of which, so far as I know, 

 has never been challenged by Mr. Booth. I say 

 I quote the ' Times ' and not Mr. Hodges,^ 

 because I took some pains about the verification 

 of Mr. Hodges's citation. 



" I should have thought it rather appertained 

 to Mr. Bramwell Booth to contradict a statement 

 which refers, not to what you heard, but to what 

 he said. However, I am the last person to wish 

 to give circulation to a story which may not be 

 quite correct ; and I will take care, if 3^ou have no 

 objection (your letter is marked ' private '), to 

 make public as much of your letter as relates to 

 the point to which you have called my attention. 



" I am, yours very faithfully, 



'' T. H. Huxley." 



To this Mr. Stead answered, under date of 

 January 13th, 1891 :— 



*' Dear Professor Huxley, — I thank you for 

 your letter of the 12fch inst. I am quite sure you 

 would not wish to do any injustice in this matter. 

 But, instead of publishing any extract from my 

 letter, might I ask you to read the passage as it 



^ This is a slip of the pen. Mr. Hodges had nothin^^ to do 

 with the citation of which I made use. 



