M When Mallory tackled me here in the theatre, I told him I had been to New York & hunted out an actor who I thought could play Sellers: & that I didn’t wish to talk business with him (Mallory) on that play, because I believed it would require a specialist—wherefore I had placed the thing in Webster’s hands, who would tackle the actor I had selected. Mallory said he had a young specialist in his company—but I said I must proceed with one plan at a time. Now Mallory must have got out of Webster the fact that Nat Goodwin was the actor I had in mind; for his proposition to Webster the other day, was, to secure Goodwin, give him a third, take a third himself, & giveⒶemendation us the other third. IⒶemendation declined, for this reason: if Goodwin will play for a third, he can do it for us—why pay Mallory to mix in where he isn’t needed? It would cost Mallory a couple of thousand dollars to find out whether there was money in the Goodwin-Sellers combination or not. Well, it wouldn’t cost me any more. I was not able to see whereabouts Mr. Mallory could be either a useful or an ornamental addition to the gang. If Mallory was sort of “inclined to take hold of it” at thirds. I preferred to know how Goodwin’s inclination lay. If Webster had gone to Goodwin, instead of fooling around with Mallory, we might know something, now.Meantime G. has got away from New York. If Goodwin would rather play for a third, with Mallory at his back, that’s another matter—I’d be willing to that. But if Goodwin is not strenuous, I’d rather have the ⅔ than the ⅓.

I notice this peculiarity:

I notice this peculiarity: Concerning a play, it seems to take longer to hear from New York than from California.

---

I don’t quite want to write to Osgood. I should have to mention that he is six weeks behindhand on his January statement (there’s a business man for you!)—& I should have to mention it if I wrote him. If you wish to revise the Library further, of course there is nothing in the way of your taking it home for that purpose. You have not done the work for him, but for me. You have not delivered it to him for publication—nobody can do that but me. But

But if the work is really finished, don’t take a bit of trouble about it; leave it where it is. It is its own & my protection: it is not usable, for I have not delivered it to him.

But this is all splenetic talk & nonsense, anyway. I have made a contract with him, & will fulfill it or go to hell.

---

Cable is was out at breakfast, & he & I have sat in the library & talked ever since—which is 4 hours. I believe this is my first idle day in 4 weeks. In that time I have written one 4-act play, & 3½ 2½ acts of another. But my head was so sore, this morning, & my body so sodden with fatigue, that I thought I would knock off till tomorrow. Cable’s nurse went yesterday. She was a very good one; indeed all the trained modern ones are.