London, 2 June 1883 

My dear Laura, 

Herewith cheque £ 10.- for Paul as desired. To judge from his let- 
ter, he seems to be pretty cheerful for his condition, but of course the 
grincement des clefs et des verroux* must be something awful. 
What is comparative liberty by day when one is reduced to solitary 
confinement by night, and how is he to sing: 

Singet nicht in Trauerténen 
Von der Einsamkeit der Nacht, 
Denn sie ist, o holde Schonen, 
Zur Geselligkeit gemacht. ° 

As Paul is going to work up his German in prison, you might give 
him that to translate. 
Now, by this time the two heroic martyrs° ought to be pretty well 

* clinking of keys and bolts 
> Sing no more in strains of sadness 
Of the loveliness of mene 
Darksome hours weré-made for gladness, 
Social joy, and love’s delight. 
Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, translated by 
R. Dillon Boylan, London, Henry Bohn, 1861. 
© Paul Lafargue and Jules Guesde 

settled down and don’t you think you might come over, say by 
Thursday or Friday next*? The fact is I expect Jollymeier to-night 
who will be able to stay here till Monday week, | 1th June, and he would 
so like to see you. Moreover, Tussy talks very much about your coming 
and seems very anxious to have you here and to consult you about the 
disposal of the things in the house, etc., etc., the sole respon- 
sibility seems to weigh very much upon her. So that your journey 
would be to some extent on business. If you will come and if you write 
at once, I shall send you the funds by return, I should have added 
them to the cheque to-day, only my balance is low and I have money 
to come in next week. 

Among Mohr’s papers I have found a whole lot of mss, our com- 
mon work, of before 1848.°° Some of these I shall soon publish. 

There is one I shall read to you when you are here, you will crack 
your sides with laughing. I read it to Nim and Tussy, Nim said: jetzt 
weiss wh auch, warum Sie Kwet damals in Brüssel des Nachts so gelacht haben, 
dass kein Mensch im Hause davor schlafen konnte. We were bold devils 
then, Heine’s poetry is childlike innocence compared with our prose. 

There is a chance of a translation of the Kapital being published 
by Kegan Paul and Co., they would be the best men. °° Tussy is go- 
ing to see them on Monday‘; if anything practicable comes of it, we 
shall then go together afterwards. S. Moore will translate, and I shall 
revise. There are other people at it, but if we can arrange the thing, 
they will soon be out of the field. S. Moore was here in Whitweek, and 
we settled the matter with him, as far as he is concerned. He is by far 
the best man, slightly heavy, but that can be mended. He has been of 
immense use to us as our legal adviser. Indeed I have still to write to 
him by first mail upon a legal question. 

Pumps is going on very well and her two babies too, the boy is aw- 
fully big and fat, very near the size of his sister! at least so says the 
proud Mamma. If you are here next Sunday (to-morrow) week, we 
shall have a grand bowl of Maitrank,° it is just in its prime now, 
I mean the Waldmeister, we have had two bowls here on Sundays 
and two at Tussy’s in the week, and plenty of Moselle left! 

If you say you will come, the same day I shall write to Dublin for 
a case of the best and of the super best Claret which we will finish 
quietly betwixt us. 
@ 7 or 8 June-* Now I know why you two laughed at night in Brussels at that time 

so that no one could sleep in the building. -° 4 June-* Wine flavoured with sweet 
woodruff, May wine. 

A few lines to Paul in a day or two. In the meantime affectionally 
yours, 

F. Engels