You know right well that I would not have you depart a hair from any obligation for any money.  The, boundless confidence that I have in you is born of a conviction of your integrity in small as well as in great things.  I know plenty of men whose integrity I would trust to here, but not off yonder in Africa.

His proposal, in brief, to Riley was that the latter should make the trip to Africa without expense to himself, collect memoranda, and such diamond mines as might be found lying about handy.  Upon his return he was to take up temporary residence in the Clemens household until the book was finished, after which large benefits were to accrue to everybody concerned.  In the end Riley obtained a release from his obligations and was off for the diamond mines and fortune.

Poor fellow!  He was faithful in his mission, and it is said that he really located a mining claim that would have made him and his independent for all time to come; but returning home with his precious memoranda and the news of good fortune, he accidentally wounded himself with a fork while eating; blood-poisoning set in (they called it cancer then), and he was only able to get home to die.  His memoranda were never used, his mining claim was never identified.  Certainly, death was closely associated with Mark Twain’s fortunes during those earlier days of his married life.

On the whole the Buffalo residence was mainly a gloomy one; its ventures were attended by ill-fortune.  For some reason Mark Twain’s connection with the Express, while it had given the paper a wide reputation, had not largely increased its subscription.  Perhaps his work on it was too varied and erratic.  Nasby, who had popularized the Toledo Blade, kept steadily to one line.  His farmer public knew always just what to expect when their weekly edition arrived.

Clemens and his wife dreamed of a new habitation, and new faces and surroundings.  They agreed to offer their home and his interests in the Express for sale.  They began to talk of Hartford, where Twichell lived, and where Orion Clemens and his wife had recently located.

Mark Twain’s new fortunes had wrought changes in the affairs of his relatives.  Already, before his marriage, he had prospected towns here and there with a view to finding an Eastern residence for his mother and sister, and he had kept Orion’s welfare always in mind.  When Pamela and her daughter came to his wedding he told them of a little city by the name of Fredonia (New York), not far from Buffalo, where he thought they might find a pleasant home.

“I went in there by night and out by night,” he said, “so I saw none of it, but I had an intelligent, attractive audience.  Prospect Fredonia and let me know what it is like.  Try to select a place where a good many funerals pass.  Ma likes funerals.  If you can pick a good funeral corner she will be happy.”