April 9 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Moncure Conway answering Conway’s letter. Conway had negotiated with Chatto & Windus, the firm taken over by Andrew Chatto after John Camden Hotten’s death in 1873. W.E. Windus was a poet and a junior partner [Rasmussen 67]. Sam sought Livy’s advice and gave her answer to Conway:

“Take the royalty; it simplifies everything; removes all risk; requires no outlay of capital; makes the labor easy for Mr. Conway; a gain of 25 per cent profit is hardly worth the trouble & risk of publishing on your own account” [Sam, quoting Livy].

Sam was beginning to understand the delays that his book would suffer, but was still optimistic that it might be out four weeks after Howells’ Atlantic review one week hence. He talked up the review and also agreed to giving Conway a five per cent commission on sales.

“We all shake hands with you-all across the briny” [MTLE 1: 40-1].