that hotel bill has arrived, and in it i find this sentence, “mr. howells account $6.85.” you need not bother to send me the money; just hand it to osgood sometime or other, and he will credit me with it, on his books. i got finely satirized for coming home empty of information, as regards the intentions of my mother, and sister; but i said you were waiting at the door, and i could not very well stop to ask a lot of irrelevant questions. then i was asked how long i was there, and as i had to confess to three quarters of an hour, the thing was botched again, so i dropped the subject. if i do not hear from the general within the stipulated week, i will stir him up according to the agreement.