25 June
Miss Zelda Fisk,
I haven't been following the news while abroad, and so your letter was both surprising and confusing; I apologize if my response, accordingly, doesn't seem to follow and hope you'll bear with me.
I am not a cannibal, nor am I engaged, and I'm very surprised indeed to find that the book left either of those two questions much in doubt. You asked me when we last met whether there was another woman, and it would have been rather difficult to answer that question truthfully while omitting something as momentous as an upcoming marriage. I can only assume from this that you believe I lied, which is not at all an unreasonable assumption on your part given the impropriety of my behavior at other times through the night. I should like to tell you that I am not nearly so much of a cad as you might believe me to be, and that what happened in April was both very much against my general character and very decidedly a mistake, but of course you have no particular reason to believe me. Actions speak louder than words, as they say, and I have ruined your opinion of my good character with actions and cannot hope to amend it with words.
I would have married you, if it had come down to it. Of course, you have no reason to believe that, either, and it is very easy to say so when the danger of it becoming necessary has passed (which I believe I gathered from your letter, though you didn't come out and say as much). I hope you weren't hurt too badly by the troll.
We return to London next week; I think news of Avalon can keep until then.
J. Alfred Darrow
I haven't been following the news while abroad, and so your letter was both surprising and confusing; I apologize if my response, accordingly, doesn't seem to follow and hope you'll bear with me.
I am not a cannibal, nor am I engaged, and I'm very surprised indeed to find that the book left either of those two questions much in doubt. You asked me when we last met whether there was another woman, and it would have been rather difficult to answer that question truthfully while omitting something as momentous as an upcoming marriage. I can only assume from this that you believe I lied, which is not at all an unreasonable assumption on your part given the impropriety of my behavior at other times through the night. I should like to tell you that I am not nearly so much of a cad as you might believe me to be, and that what happened in April was both very much against my general character and very decidedly a mistake, but of course you have no particular reason to believe me. Actions speak louder than words, as they say, and I have ruined your opinion of my good character with actions and cannot hope to amend it with words.
I would have married you, if it had come down to it. Of course, you have no reason to believe that, either, and it is very easy to say so when the danger of it becoming necessary has passed (which I believe I gathered from your letter, though you didn't come out and say as much). I hope you weren't hurt too badly by the troll.
We return to London next week; I think news of Avalon can keep until then.
MJ made the most Alfredy of sets and then two years later she made it EVEN BETTER