NOVEL

The two cards are accompanied by the envelope in which the first card was sent, with stamp and postmark. All three items in good condition, lightly aged. Envelope addressed to 'Ian McPherson, Esq.' at his house on the Isles of Scilly. Both cards written in blue ink on side with letterhead, the other side being blank. ONE: 25 April 1983. She thanks him for his letter and cheque, adding: 'I have no signed copies at present, and in any case we must wait for my husband's return from a research trip during the next week before I can get him to inscribe it specifically for Andrew'.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, with pin holes to one corner and a few drops of light staining. She thanks Greenwood for her letter, but does not feel that her 'Valiant Woman' has any 'chance of making a successful film, for the very reasons you say it ought to'. She explains: 'In this country there would not be a large enough public for a film setting out the Christian attitude towards divorce, as popular sympathy is mostly on the other side'. Nevertheless she is sending Greenwood's letter to her agent 'Mr. A. D.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Folded once. Signed 'Rafael Sabatini'. After thanking her for her letter of sympathy, he notes: 'In the past I have had plenty of cause for complaint, but nothing quite so flagrant.' He has been 'avenged by the Press, which described the unutterable scenario from which the film was made in terms similar to those which I employed when I requested that my name be removed from the “author credits”'. He ends with good wishes to her 'laudable enterprise'.

[3] + 222pp. With additional page carrying two figures to be inserted in the text (the first a 'Bezel', the second two cartouches). Each page on the recto of a separate leaf. Autograph emendations throughout, including additional text on reverse of one leaf. Housed in grey-card punch-hold binder. The typescript and leaf of illustrations are in good condition, on lightly aged thick paper, the three pages of prelims are on creased and worn thin paper; the binding is heavily worn. Typed label on cover (pasted over other labels) from 'Apex Literary Agency, 293 Grays Inn Road, W.C.1.

On one side of 7 x 11 cm slip of paper, possibly cut down. In good condition, lightly aged, with stub from mount adhering. Reads: 'Have you any engagement on Tuesday 9th. (7/30) and will you come to a masculine dinner with | Yours always | W M Thackeray'. Addressed at bottom left to 'One Two Three Park Street Esqr.' The celebrated travel writer Richard Ford, best-known for his 'Handbook for Travellers in Spain' (1845), lived at 123 Park Street, Grosvenor Square, from 1849 to his death in 1858.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition. He has 'from week to week been purposing a visit to you to express my gratitude & sincere thanks for your kindness to me & the cure you accomplished'. He can only write his thanks, having been overwhelmed by 'the arrears of work that followed my illness', and leaving for Paris the following day.

On 5 x 10 cm slip of paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | George du Maurier'. The first line lightly inked, the signature itself bold and strong. Nothing else on the card, except for the number '92' in a contemporary hand at top left above the signature.

Four good letters, in which the author's love for his wife and grief at her death are apparent. Littleton Powys was the second-eldest of eleven, his siblings including writers John Cowper Powys, T. F. Powys and Llewelyn Powys, architect A. R. Powys, artist Gertrude Powys, lacemaker Marian Powys, and poet and novelist Philippa Powys. His autobiography 'The Joy of it' was published in 1937, with the sequel 'Still the Joy of it' appearing in 1956. The four letters are in good condition, lightly aged. They total 12pp., 12mo.

Littleton Powys was the second-eldest of eleven, his siblings including writers John Cowper Powys, T. F. Powys and Llewelyn Powys, architect A. R. Powys, artist Gertrude Powys, lacemaker Marian Powys, and poet and novelist Philippa Powys. His autobiography 'The Joy of it' was published in 1937, with the sequel 'Still the Joy of it' appearing in 1956. The three letters are in good condition, lightly aged. They total 8pp., 12mo. The main topic is the correspondence between the recipient Brooks and Powys's wife Elizabeth Myers, which would feature in Powys's 1951 edition of her letters.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. Aged and with light discoloration and chipping along one edge. A somewhat barbed missive, reading: 'Sir, | I thank you for your offer, but I have so many subjects on hand just now that I fear I could not find room for your article even if I approved of it.' The Graphic was first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Limited, with Henry Sutherland Edwards (1828-1906) as editor. Locker had taken over the editorship only a few days before the writing of this note, on 1 May 1870.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Strip of glue from tape at head of page. Written in response to a request for an autograph. Centred in the page, and reading: 'Yours truly | James Payn | March 28th 1887.'

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. She is returning Cond's bookplate, which she has signed with great pleasure, and is very glad Cond has enjoyed 'A Calabash of Diamonds', which 'really was a thrilling adventure and I don't suppose we shall ever experience anything quite so exciting again'. The book was subtitled 'An African Treasure Hunt', and involved the search for a Zulu chief's burial place. Apparently 'Eileen Cond was a book collector who sent out her bookplate to her favorite authors, many of whom signed and returned them to her.'

From the papers of the family of the second wife of the geologist Alexander Henry Green (1832-1896), previously Miss Wilhelmina Maria Armstrong of Clifton. 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed at bottom left to 'Mrs Wilhelmina Armstrong'. The letter opens: 'Dear Madam | I heartily wish I could see my way – but the clouds of work are growing so thick I cannot see each of them - & my elasticity is failing.' He does not dare undertake anything at the present time, but feels 'grateful & flattered by the invitation'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. She apologises for the late reply to her 'nice letter', and has 'autographed the bookplate as you requested'. She ends with the question: 'Have you read my latest book, "A Prologue to Love"?' Note: Eileen Cond was an autograph collector who used to send her bookplate for sigining to significant contemporaries.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. She begins by agreeing to inscribe Cond's bookplate, before continuing: 'Ye, I did know Hope Collins – not particularly well, since he was based in Glasgow, and I lived in New York and the West Indies from 1955 to 1967 and so our visits to London rarely co-incided.' She remembers Collins as 'a most kindly and courteous man', and he is 'greatly missed.

Written in blue ink and covering both sides of the card, which does not carry an address. After informing her that she is returning her bookmark with her signature she continues: 'I have been through an awful time which has killed all interest in the great success my “Perfect Wife” seems to be having. My husband has had an operation for a lobectomy (removal of part of his lung[)], which, thank God, has been successful. And all this, (for the last 3 months) while we were in the middle of a move!' She states that they have 'sold the Manor, & are living pro tem in one of our lodges.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged. She thanks her for her 'tribute to my book', adding: 'Fancy you thinking that I lived in Australia! My brother to whom I gave a dedication lives there. I never get further than Monkstown which is part of Dunlaoghaire.' She ends by observing that Cond's letter 'seems to have been a long time travelling'. Beatrice Coogan was the daughter of a policeman, a Dublin socialite who was crowned Dublin's Civic Queen of Beauty in 1927. She was the author of 'The Big Wind', won the Frankfurt Book Fair’s 'Novel of the Year' in 1969.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir, | Will you please give me an appointment on Thursday next when I am in town? | Faithfully yours, | Lewis Melville'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with tissue labels from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Tinsley Brothers of 8 Catherine Street, Strand, were Ainsworth's publishers during this period. The letter begins: 'Dear Mr. Tinsley, | You are quite incorrigible.' Ainsworth complains that Tinsley has sent him a letter, 'delayed since Novr. 11th. last', and that he has 'been obliged to write a long letter of explanation and apology'. He hopes that 'the lady – for the writer is a lady – will be satisfied'.

On 6.5 x 12 cm slip of thin laid paper, cut from the end of a typed letter. Signature in blue ink. In fair condition, lightly aged, with tissue labels from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Reads: '[...] | Yours sincerely, | [Graham Greene] | Graham Greene. | The Lord Iddesleigh, | Pynes, | Exeter.'

Three pages, 12mo, good condition."Mrs Lynd's [ Sylvia Lynd, author ] letter about the Femina Committee followed me here where I am spending a few days. The onlky objection I can see to inserting the word 'formerly' before F.V.H. [Femina - Vie Heureuse ] is that the title of the Prize Committee would be even more unwieldy than it already is!- but of course I am in favour of trying to settle the difference between the two French committees, and hope Mrs Lynd will write the letter she suggests in her letter. I must admit that I didn't realize there were two [underlined] French committees."

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Begins: 'Mem. for Mr Henry Gray | I have received your Catalogue dated April 25th. | Will you send me, if still in hand, […]'. A list of five works follows, the last four French, including Sarah Scott's Utopian "Millenium Hall", following which Besant writes: 'for wh. I will remit by return post – on receipt.'

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He apologises for his 'long silence', having been 'troubled by several things not connected with literature'. He expresses a desire to call on her 'some time later'. He has not been successful with her articles with Lord Beaverbrook, and thinks 'the most effective step to take would be to publish your novel first'. (Her first novel 'Cold Surge' was published by Hutchinson & Co. in 1929.) He has signed her copy of his novel 'The Polyglots', which he is returning separately.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'My dear Sir/ | I think it is the 28th. thar you proposed to come to me & I hope that you & Mrs. Farrer may find it not interfering with more agreeable <?> please to stay at least till the following Monday or Tuesday Aug 1st'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn. The breaking open of the wafer has resulted in slight loss at the beginning of Maturin's signature. Addressed on reverse to 'William Spooner Esqre | at Mr Millikin's | Grafton Street'. (His not writing of 'Dublin' implies that he is writing from the same place.) Maturin was the great-uncle of Oscar Wilde, who adopted the name 'Sebastian Melmoth' during his self-exile on the continent.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition. He thanks her for 'the very pleasant glimpse of yourself and your family which I got last Saturday to Monday'. He hopes she will excuse the delay in acknowledging her 'kind and graceful hospitality'.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, aged and with bands of glue at head and tail on reverse. He thanks her for her note, but he cannot join her party. 'I wish I could!' Postscript: 'I hope you are quite well again!'

'The Ugly Picture' was L. P. Hartley's final short story. It appeared in the Christmas issue of the Spectator, 23 December 1972, a few days before his death. There is a synopsis in Adrian Wright's 'Foreign Country: The Life of L. P. Hartley' (1996). Neither of the two drafts present here corresponds with the published version, whose ending, for example, has been heavily reworked from the ending to the later of the two drafts. The two items are both in good condition, each on loose leaves (one side only) of paper attached with a safety pin.

Gilruth was the author of seven crime novels: 'Sweet Revenge' (1951), 'Death in Ambush' (1952), 'Postscript to Penelope' (1954), 'A Corpse for Charybdis' (1956), 'To this Favour' (1957), 'Drown Her Remembrance' (1961) and 'The Snake is Living Yet' (1963). The material in this collection is in good overall condition, lightly aged and worn. Most of the material is laid down on 41pp. of a 25 x 38 cm. album (ownership signature on front pastedown), with press cuttings of reviews grouped around the cut-down dustwrappers of the first six of Gilruth's books.

On 5.5 x 12.5 cm strip torn from the foot of a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. Beneath the typed words 'Sincerely yours,' is the firm bold signature 'Sinclair Lewis'.