Manchester, 27 March? 1870 

Dear Moor, 

If you did not understand my few lines of the day before 
yesterday, then the enclosure must have been missing. You wrote 
on the 24th that you would take steps as soon as you had in your 
hands completely striking certain proof that our letters had been 
opened. The envelope of this letter was the most striking proof: 
the sealing-wax had been loosened with a hot iron and afterwards 
spread just as sloppily back on the envelope, so that every trace of 
the imprint was blotted out, and the unfastened flaps were not 
even properly covered again. So I immediately sent you this 
envelope, wishing thus to put you in a position to take immediate 
steps. If it was not enclosed, it had been taken out. But if it was in 
the same state in which you dispatched it, then you obviously need 
not put any sealing-wax on the letters, and might just as well send 
them completely open. Since this case interests me, please tell me 
how things stand. 

a I would ask you to greet Madame la comtesse from me, and thank her for the 
friendly lines she wrote me. She has not the slightest reason to regret preferring 
Latin to French. This not only displays a classical and highly-developed taste, but 
also explains why Madame is never non-plussed. - > In the original: 29 March. 

Luckily, I have money at home, and I send you enclosed £5, 
S/7, 29,808, Manchester, 16 January 1869, Bank or ENGLAND NOTE. 
Unfortunately, because of Sunday I cannot register the letter; the 
rogues who open our letters are equally capable of stealing the 
money. I wanted to get the rest yesterday, but the bank closes so 
early on Saturday that I wouldn’t have got into town in time. I'll 
get it tomorrow. 

I don’t remember seeing the Queen’s Messenger with Clan- 
ricarde’s biography.* As far as I know, I sent back to you all the 
Queen’s Messengers, etc., which you did not take with you personally, 
in the parcel with the Cloches and Lanternes; but I’ll take another 
look. 

Mr Philipp von Roesgen von Floss has also spread himself in the 
Werker several times; the really Dutch, precise handwriting suggests 
a come-down notary’s clerk. Caution is suggested before he be 
granted the personeel diploma as lid? of the International.° 

If your friend Collet only knew that you also have now become 
a bona fide and frank Russian agent.* But it’s really quite nice of the 
fellows, who certainly seem to be a different sort of Russians from 
those we have previously encountered. They can be left with their 
project of playing patron to the other Slavs until a firm footing 
has been gained in Austria and Hungary, and then this will cease 
of itself. They also have a good picture of the Servian Omladina; 
it is a sort of student society with tendencies about as clear as those 
of the old Burschenschaft.°°° 

The explanation about Bakunin very good. Thus he is also 
rendered harmless, since the Russian paymasters will not permit 
him to go further than Herzen. 

You must be having worse weather than us; here it’s fairly cold, 
and the wind veers between northwest and east, but otherwise it’s 
mostly fine, and I can take a decent walk every day. But 8 days 
ago, when it was once warm, I got a frightful grippe, which I 
drove out with 3 days of linseed tea. 

I shall send you back the Dutch and Russian letters with the 
second post, so you'll get them tomorrow afternoon. 

I have been looking through our correspondence of last year, 
and have discovered that roughly from July-August onwards your 
letters first individually, and later all without exception, show 

a See this volume, p. 466. - ’ member - ¢ See this volume, pp. 462-63, 464-65. - 
d Ibid., pp. 462-63. 

more or less clear signs of Manipulation. The one I received this 
morning was, if it had been opened, at least decently closed. 
Best greetings. 

Your 
F. E.