[London,] 21 May 1869 

Dear Frep, 

Tussy and my wife returned from Paris on Wednesday,* and I 
intended to come to Manchester with Tussy tomorrow. In the 
meantime, this has been made impossible by an economic obstacle. 

The various Paris journeys by Jenny, Tussy and Madame, and 
the purchases connected therewith, have naturally entailed extra 
expenditure for me. Second, there were borrowings to a sum of 
£14, which I absolutely could not avoid, sy an unhappy coincidence 
of circumstances. Dupont, the soundest of the people here, has 
not only chémage,” but his wife is hopelessly ill. He is such a 
discreet man that he borrows from nobody, except in extreme 
need, and he is so conscientious that he always pays back. So I 
loaned him £6. Then along came Lessner, put into difficult 
circumstances by his wife’s long and finally fatal illness. I could 
deny him all the less since I was myself his debtor for a long time. 
Thus £5. Finally the worthy Liebknecht (after writing to me in 
vain on the subject) writes to Eccarius himself, asking him to 
approach me for an advance. I told Eccarius that I had already 
turned Wilhelm down. But Eccarius wailed—-and this is a 
fact—that he would be turned out of the house if I did not 
advance him at least £2 for rent owing. I thus did this, but at the 
same time wrote to Wilhelm that he should return it to me. So £14 

a 19 May - > unemployment 

our oF pocket. All this left me with £15 lying in petto. But then, 
yesterday, a certain Drengler (nomen omen’) arrived from the City 
with a letter from Mr Zitschke in New York, who 13 years ago 
loaned me £15, and then suddenly disappeared from London 
because of embezzlement (he dispatched emigrants to New York). 
Turns Now up acain with the old loan, which I had thought settled by 
his defection with the cash. I had to deal with the matter all the 
more because, in the meanume, he has become friendly with Mr 
Heinzen; in the event of a refusal to pay, he would have been able 
to ‘Pioneer me out’ .? Thus cleaned out. 

Fox has died in Vienna after a 5-day pulmonary disease. His 
family left in poverty. Letters on this have reached me from 
Vienna. Fox’s mother (Peter Fox nom de plume, real name Peter 
Fox André) is a rich woman, who, however, left him completely in 
the lurch, partly because he married her abigail (now old), and 
partly because of his atheism. I have now approached her, 
threatening that if she does not give something, public collections 
will be held for her son in London. 

Meissner sent me, 1 week ago, the Ist sheet of the 18th 
Brumaire, and wrote that things should now go ‘quickly’. But sheet 
2 is not here yet. He appears to be dragging the matter out as 
long as possible. 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M.