very great sum when it will prevent your having a house in London,—­as you agreed.  It does make a great difference, because, of course, as you have no regular place in the country, one could only see one’s friends in London.  Fulham is all very well now and then, but I don’t think I should like to live at Fulham all the year through.  You talk of three years, which would be dreadful.  If as you say it will not have any lasting effect, could you not manage to have a house in town?  If you can do it in three years, I should think you could do it now.  I should like to have an answer to this question.  I do think so much about being the season in town!

As for the...