D⁠⟨⁠ear⁠⟩⁠ D^r Darwin

I am really v⁠⟨⁠ery⁠⟩⁠ much obliged to you for your letter, & only sorry, that I should give you the trouble ⁠⟨⁠o⁠⟩⁠f writing—² You are probably ⁠⟨⁠a⁠⟩⁠ware of the decease of my lamented Sister, M^rs Reynolds, in January—³ She had been some time prepared for the grea⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠ change, but her end at l⁠⟨⁠a⁠⟩⁠st was somewhat sudden— I think in my ⁠⟨⁠n⁠⟩⁠ote to you—I said “principal creditor”—(by a slip of the ⁠⟨⁠pen⁠⟩⁠ instead of “principal D⁠⟨⁠ebtor”⁠⟩⁠ to my Father—⁴ ⁠⟨⁠2 or 3 words⁠⟩⁠ shall communicate with M⁠⟨⁠r⁠⟩⁠ Wedgwood about the old tit⁠⟨⁠le⁠⟩⁠ deeds—leases and mor⁠⟨⁠tgages⁠⟩⁠ which I fancy w⁠⟨⁠ere⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ed to Miss Wedgwoo⁠⟨⁠d⁠⟩⁠⁵ ⁠⟨⁠1 or 2 words⁠⟩⁠ M^rs Reynolds, but ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ not necessary I unders⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠d to complete the ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ I have had nothing to do with these matters as my sister—at My Father’s desire, I believe, acted through D^r Reynolds,⁶ when necessary   I do not care at present to make enquiries of D^r Reynolds, & therefore I intimated my desire, that this corre⁠⟨⁠s⁠⟩⁠pondence should be “privatim”— ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ I am tolerably sure that he ⁠⟨⁠wou⁠⟩⁠ld at once most frankly ⁠⟨⁠answ⁠⟩⁠er any question on the ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠hat I might think ⁠⟨⁠1 or 2 words⁠⟩⁠ to ask him—

⁠⟨⁠3 or 4 words⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ld associations ⁠⟨⁠3 or 4 words⁠⟩⁠ to obtain ⁠⟨⁠poss⁠⟩⁠ession of what remains ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ the Pond House or Tromer Property—& if it i⁠⟨⁠s⁠⟩⁠ again ⁠⟨⁠s⁠⟩⁠old, it is impossible ⁠⟨⁠to⁠⟩⁠ say (if it does not co⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠e) how long it may ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ it comes again in ⁠⟨⁠the⁠⟩⁠ Market— You are c⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ respect to approximity ⁠⟨⁠to⁠⟩⁠ the name of the first alienee, through my Father’s agents, ⁠⟨⁠as⁠⟩⁠ I may call them—but as I ⁠⟨⁠d⁠⟩⁠o not wish to enter on that part of the case—at least at present—I may simply say, ⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠hat my Father thought M^r H⁷—was favoured by the Auctioneer—& the rese⁠⟨⁠rve⁠⟩⁠ bid was not adhered to— ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ I suppose be useless to ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ this made a mat⁠⟨⁠ter⁠⟩⁠ of ⁠⟨⁠  ⁠⟩⁠ion now—& of course ⁠⟨⁠2 or 3 words⁠⟩⁠ idea of the k⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠2 or 3 words⁠⟩⁠ may be ⁠⟨⁠4 or 5 words⁠⟩⁠ Miss Wedgwood gave M^r ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ for the property, you wi⁠⟨⁠ll⁠⟩⁠ kindly let me know. M^r H⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠t a good deal on ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠od— In this way I ⁠⟨⁠      ⁠⟩⁠ ⁠⟨⁠b⁠⟩⁠e able to form ⁠⟨⁠a ju⁠⟩⁠dgment—of what the ⁠⟨⁠e⁠⟩⁠xecutor may expect for it— I have room for the Basso relievo here, if it or they are really worth the carriage, but on this subje⁠⟨⁠ct⁠⟩⁠ I would probably spea⁠⟨⁠k to⁠⟩⁠ D^r Reynolds, & communicate with M^r Wedgwood.— My idea was I might miss an A⁠⟨⁠d⁠⟩⁠vertisement of the sale ⁠⟨⁠of  Tr⁠⟩⁠omer—

Again thanking ⁠⟨⁠you⁠⟩⁠ for your letter | I have the honour | to be | Dear Sir | ⁠⟨⁠Yours ve⁠⟩⁠ry faithfully | ⁠⟨⁠   ⁠⟩⁠ful— Ainslie

Charles D⁠⟨⁠arwin⁠⟩⁠ | D^r—K⁠⟨⁠ent⁠⟩⁠