Now that the Meum and Tuum was ready for work FitzGerald’s anxiety for the lives of her crew made him insist upon their taking life-belts aboard with them, although the mate had stated that no one would wear them. On April 24th a letter was written to Posh from Woodbridge.

“Dear Poshy,

“I hear from Mr. Birt this morning that the Life Belts were sent off to you yesterday—directed to your house. So I suppose they will reach you without your having to go look for them. But you can enquire at the Rail if they don’t show up.

“Mr. Birt says that he makes the Belts of two sizes for the Life Boat. But he has sent all yours of the large size, except one for the Boy. I had told him I thought you were all of you biggish Men, except the Boy. I suppose I have blundered as usual. But if the Jackets are too big you must change some of them. That will only cost carriage; and that I must pay for my Blunder.

“I doubt you have been unlucky in your drying days—yesterday we had such violent showers as would have washed out your oil, I think. And it must have rained much last night. But you share in my luck now, you know.

“But I am very glad the children are better. I thought it was bad weather for fever. There has been great sickness here, I think. Mr. Gowing and his house are as tedious as Mr. Dove and my house; we must hope that does not mean to play as false.

“I am very sorry for your loss of lines and anchors.

“E. FG.”

Mr. Gowing was, so far as Posh can recollect, a Woodbridge builder, and Mr. Dove was the Builder who altered Little Grange for FitzGerald. Whether or not the life-belts fitted or were ever used I can’t ascertain. But I believe that one was in existence a year or so ago. The “lines and anchors” were, Posh thinks, lost from his old punt the Gazelle.

For the sake of convenience I give a letter here which is somewhat out of date, but inasmuch as it has nothing to do with the fishing but only with the trust which FitzGerald had in Posh it may very well come in here.

“Markethill, Woodbridge, October 2nd.

“Dear Posh,

“I forgot to tell you that I had desired a Day and Night Telescope to be left for me at the Lowestoft Railway Station—Please to enquire for it: and, if it be there, this Letter of mine may be sufficient Warrant for you to take the Glass.

“Do not, however, take the Glass out to sea till we have tried it.

“We got here yesterday. I shall not be at Lowestoft this week at any rate.

“Yours,
“Edward FitzGerald.

“Please to send me word about the Glass. I left a note for you in George Howe’s hands before we started. I was sorry not to see you; but you knew where to find me on Monday Evening.”

The glass was, Posh assures me, a good one. But no one knows what became of it. Later FitzGerald again mentions the glass.

“Woodbridge, Monday.

“Dear Posh,

“If I could have made sure from your letter that you were going to stop on shore this Day, I would have run over to see you. You tell me of getting a Job done: but I cannot be sure if you are having it done To-day: and I do not go to Lowestoft for fear you may be put to sea again.

“Of course you will get anything done to Boat or Net that you think proper.

“You did not tell me how the Spy-Glass answers. But do not trouble yourself to write.

“Yours truly,
“Flagstone FitzGerald.”

Woodbridge River (evening) where the “scandal” berthed

As soon as I asked Posh the meaning of the signature “Flagstone FitzGerald” he burst out laughing. “What!” said he. “Hain’t yew niver heard about ole Flagstone? He was a retail and wholesale grocer and gin’ral store dealer at Yarmouth name ---” (well, we will say Smith for purposes of reference. As the man’s sons still carry on his old business here in Lowestoft it is as well not to give the true name. By the way, I do not mean that the sons carry on the “flagstone” business), “and he owned tew or t’ree boots and stored ’em hisself. Well, when they come to make up (and o’ coorse he’d chudged the men for the stores, ah! and chudged ’em high!) they went t’rew the stores an’ found as he’d weighted up the sugar and such like wi’ flagstone! Well, they made it sa hot for him at Yarmouth that he had ta mewve ta Lowestoft, and he was allust called Flagstone Smith arter that. I reckon as the Guv’nor heerd the yarn and liked it. Ha! Ha! Ha!”

And it isn’t a bad yarn for one which is actually true in every respect.

About the same time, or a little later (for it is impossible to fix the date of these letters definitely), Fitzgerald wrote:—

“Woodbridge, Saturday.

“My dear Lad,

“I suppose the Lugger had returned, and that you had gone out in her again before my last Note, with Newson’s Paper, reached you. I have a fancy that you will go home this evening. But whether you are not [sic] do not stay at home to answer me. I have felt, as I said, pretty sure that the Boat was back from Harwich: and we have had no such weather as to make me anxious about you. One night it blew; but not a gale: only a strong Wind.

“I shall be expecting Newson up next week.

“I have thought of you while I have been walking out these fine moonlight nights. But I doubt your fish must have gone off before this.

“You see I have nothing to say to you; only I thought you might to [sic] hear from me whenever you should come back.

“E. FG.”