14th. November 1927.

Mrs. Ouvry,
The Warren,
Crockham Hill, Nr. Edenbridge.

Dear Mrs. Ouvry,

I am sorry that I have not been able to write to you sooner regarding the publication of Mr. Paterson's book on George Eliot, but the delay has arisen from our anxiety to give the proposal our very careful consideration.

I much regret that we cannot see our way to make you a proposal for publication. The Letters themselves certainly throw fresh light on the more domestic side of George Eliot's life but are hardly sufficiently important in themselves to create a wide interest. The appeal of the book would therefore largely depend upon what fresh interest the editor could create and in this respect we do not find that Mr. Paterson has been able to throw much new light upon his subject. Mr. Paterson is not perhaps entirely to blame; for the ground was originally very thoroughly covered by Mr. Cross, and more recently Miss Haldane's book gleaned what remained of interest to be told.

I wish very much that we could have come to a different decision/