Clemens had “coppered” (questioned) the illustration of a fountain at Versailles in the proofs for chapter 16 (page 154) of The Innocents Abroad, which he probably returned on 5 April (see 10? Apr 69 to Bliss, n. 1click to open letter). It was based on a contemporary photograph of the fountain of Apollo, “with a group of the sungod in his chariot, environed with tritons, nymphs, and dolphins” (Baedeker, 286; Hirst, 217–18, 220). Within a day of sending Clemens the proofs for chapters 18–22, Bliss must have sent him proofs for chapters 23–27, together with his response to the query about the fountain illustration. Judging by Clemens’s reply, Bliss admitted that he too had been skeptical of this illustration, but explained, perhaps facetiously, that he had allayed his concern by comparing it with an imitation of the original fountain in Paris, Kentucky (no confirmation has been found that such an imitation existed). The problem that Clemens had perceived may have been in part the result of the process of pulling proof: since the illustration was of a fountain at night, it was easy to make the ink impression too dark.

The “Echo” diagram was the drawing of Clemens’s notebook in chapter 19 (page 197), which evidently had not been included in the proofs, but was still “to be engraved.” The “Spires” of the cathedral at Milan eventually appeared in chapter 18 (facing page 172). Clemens’s question here shows that he had seen an artist’s proof of the engraving while still in Hartford. Bliss responded, and also commented on “the name business,” in the following letter (CU-MARK):

It is likely that Clemens returned proofs of chapters 18–22 (pages 171–227) with this letter. He may already have had the next batch of proofs in hand, but he did not return them for another three days (see the next letter).