My dear Sir—

I am very much obliged for your letter & valuable assistance. Considering what M^r T. H Farrer will settle, I think M^r W. Farrer’s proposal reasonable.² The sole objection that I see to it, is that in case of the early death of Horace’s wife, leaving one child, & Horace afterwards having other children, the child by the first marriage w^d inherit in excess; but the risk must be run for I suppose there is no way of avoiding it.— If I understand M^r W. F. proposal correctly, it is that I shd settle on M^rs Horace Darwin 5000£ at once,³ & covenant that at my & my wife’s death £5000 additional shall be settled & on her, (this additional £5000 I trust be a [considerable] advantage of the offer) in the mean time covenanting to pay interest of 10,000£, which I presume will be 400£ annually.— Mr T. H Farrer in a note to me, said he w^d covenant to pay 300£ only⁴

I think that you will be able to advise me how best to arrange the affair, if I tell you what I give Horace independently of any marriage.— I allow him 300£ annually & I have already made over property to which he was entitled at my death to amounting to a little over 100£ a year. I intend for the future to divide amongst all my children the overplus of my income, which for an average of the last 10 years, will give Horace about 400£, so he will have from me. 800£ annually.—

With respect to the £5000 to be placed in trust; I hold 13,000 North-Eastern R^y. Debenture stock & 27,000£ of London & N. Western 4 per cent guaranteed stock⁵ & I could put in trust 5000 of either of these stocks whichever M^r W. Farrer w^d prefer or

Will you kindly arrange the whole affair with M^r W. Farrer