Berlin May 25^th/62

 

Dear Fanny

                        Your very welcome letter came to hand last evening and I hasten a reply. I was supprised that a person making any pretentions to be a gentleman should take the course that Mr Strope has. I might expect as much from a villain, but never from a gentleman, and my slight acquaintance with Mr Strope would not warrant such a course of proceedings. I presume that I never passed a dozen words with him in my life and those were last evening. he is now in Berlin, and last evening he came up to the Hotel / where I board. I was setting on the stoop in front of the Hotel. he saw me and commenced conversation, but thank fortune I had just received your letter and was on my guard. I passed a few words with him about the war &c and then abruptly left him. I presume he thinks me very uncivil, but I cant help it if he does. I was getting angry every moment he talked to me, and not knowing the nature of the charges he had made against me I thought it more prudent to leave him than to have had any difficulty in so public a place. what hard feelings Mr Strope may have or entertain against me or from / what they originate I have not the most remote idea unless it be for effect on those to whome he reports such charges. but thank fortune he is fooled this time, for I know Fannie that you are to good & sensible to condemn a friend unheard. I want to make one request of you Fanny and that is this, that in your next letter you will write what Mr Strope reported of me to yourself and Miss Baldwin and I pledge you my honor as a gentleman that if such charges as were reported to you are true, they shall be confessed without prevarication or avoidance and then you can judge for yourself. if they are not true they will be denied even if it throws Mr Strope / into a falshood. all I demand is justice and Fanny I know you will grant that.

 

            I can but thank you Fanny for being so frank with me as you have and of letting me know of this affair so soon, for Mr Strope may have had some sinister motive which might have created trouble. be assured that it will be gratefully remembered by me. I think as you do about the likeness. it was very ungentlemanly in Mr Strope to have procured it in that way aside from the keeping it after you had requested him to give it back. Now Fanny please dont fail to state those charges in your next letter, and if I have said any thing in this that is unkindly of to Mr Strope please forgive it for I am somewhat angry and excited yet. it was such a supprise

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