My dear Fox

I should have answered your last letter earlier, as indeed was necessary to redeem my character.— I waited till I could hear from Baker; but the rogue has not yet been to my rooms; although I wrote to him.— I shall be very glad to be of any use in paying your bills & will make enquiries as you may direct me. NB. I owe you at present ^£1"4"6.— I paid Markham Bennet for Porterage, which makes a shilling or two difference from my last account to you.— I do not quite understand your last letter is Orridge & Aikens account a different affair? & now for giving you a scolding. I should like to know what you mean by such expressions as “begetting a horror of my handwriting” &c, is it a very refined species of irony? does it mean, if your very agreeable letters (I am forced to flatter in order to excuse myself) are horrible, that mine must be à fortiori, most intolerably horrible?— To use your own expression, no more humbug. I am always very gld to receive your letter & you know it, & in Johnsons language “there is an end of it.”—

I shall leave Cambridge a little time after division, my duty draws me away; my inclination would keep me all the next terms, & if I possibly can, most certainly I shall stay up the greater part of next term.— I have so many friends up here (Henslow amongst the foremost) that it would make any place pleasant.— (NB you always spell Henslow with an e).—

Is there any hope of your coming up next term, if there is we will most cer- tainly meet.— I will ⁠⟨⁠wr⁠⟩⁠ite again, when I have settled your affairs ⁠⟨⁠h⁠⟩⁠ere.— You ask after Eras ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ we never correspond excepting on business.— He is in London, & now you know as much as I do.—

I could not write a long letter even to Charlotte Wedgwood or Fanny Owen, so must excuse this short one.— & Believe me dear old Fox | Your most sincerely | C. Darwin

Simpson’s direction is Feversham Kent.— do write to him, he will be so glad to hear from you.