My dear Sir

D^r Hooker has forwarded to me your letter as the best & simplest plan of explaining affairs.¹ I am sincerely grieved to hear of the pecuniary troubles which you have undergone, but now fortunately passed. I assure you that I have never entertained any feelings in regard to you, which you suppose.— Please to remember that I distinctly stated that I did not consider the sum which I advanced as a loan, but as a gift, & surely there is nothing discreditable to you under the circumstances in receiving a gift from a rich man as I am.²

Therefore I earnestly beg you to banish the whole subject from your mind, & begin laying up something for yourself in the future. I really cannot break my word & accept payment.— Pray do not rob me of my small share in the credit of aiding to put the right man in the right place. You have done good work & and I am sure will do more.³ So let us never mention the subject again.—

I am after many interruptions at work again on my Essay on Expression, which was written out once many months ago.— I have found your remarks the best of all which have been sent me & so I state.—⁴

With every good wish believe me | My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Ch Darwin

Has Leersia oryzoides ever produced with you perfect flowers? I have failed entirely.—⁵

Can you send me seed of any Melastomata, either annual or biennial, which I could cultivate in Hot-House or Green house.— I wish to experiment with the pollen of the differently constructed & differently coloured anthers.⁶ It must be a species with not very small flowers.— An early flowering bush w^d. do.—

To see if any differences in function in the 2 sets of stamens