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The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett - 1925

By A. T. Barker

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Letter No. 10C

Secretary's Office of the Theosophical Society,
Breach Candy, Bombay, India,
Thursday, 8th May, 1882.

My dear Boss,

Just arrived home by the express train from Madras whence we started on Tuesday night — and the first letter I receive is yours with the agreeable enclosure from Mrs. Scott and Mr. O'Conor. Well, I can't say it was precisely a thunder-bolt (the news that Ross Scott suspected me). I had anticipated it for over four months — in short since February. She owes her husband to the Brothers and me. What more natural than that she should traduce both the "Brothers" and myself! She is afraid in her little petty jealousy lest they or I should retain our hold upon her husband — hence the policy — des finesses comme de fil blanc! M. defined and foretold the situation four months since, one fortnight after his last letter to R. Scott. His very marriage was to serve a lesson hereafter for both of us, to show how human nature was variable. When I bothered them repeatedly to make R. Scott happy to cure him of his leg, I was told to provide him with a wife — "Miss Hume would do first rate for him" — and then said K. H. — "if he proves faithful and true and the influence of his wife leaves him unshaken in his beliefs and true to his old friends then we will attend to his leg." Six months Probation was allowed to Scott. Only six months — though he knew it not — and now behold the fruit! Did not M. write to him before his marriage that he would not correspond with him until after his marriage for reasons he could not tell him and which he did not divulge, even to me until their departure from here Jan. 12th. But, after dropping on Scott's nose during dinner that letter of his (from M. in which he calls him "faithful throughout") M. told me a few days later that it was the last letter Scott would ever receive from him, and a month later that Scott had been tested and found shaky. As to K. H. so far back as at Simla he asked me once the question, whether I would be willing to sacrifice Scott's friendship — (until then a real genuine friendship) if thereby I could secure his happiness, get him a good wife and see his leg cured? I hesitated at first, but only for one second and answered from the bottom of my heart — "Yes, I am ready; for he is young and full of life and I — I am old and will not last long. Let him then he happy. "Very well" said K. H. "Be it so." And now it has come to pass.

I do not know how much or in what Scott suspects me. Suffice that he does. Suffice that a drop of gall has fallen into the pure waters of our mutual friendship (forgive the stupidly poetic metaphor) — to poison them for ever. I only feel a sincere sorrow for the poor young man; for now — THEY WILL NOT CURE HIS LEG as they would otherwise had he remained true to the cause only for one year, but for six months! And Mrs. Gordon's prophecy is fulfilled. She is a true medium — tell her so.

As for O'Conor's letter it is such a stupid transparent thing for me that it is not worth talking about. I did receive his letter one hour later than E.'s for Mrs. Gordon; and with it orders to do about it as I liked, to either answer it or not but to hold my tongue as to the fact of my having received it until further developments. I left it with Damodar and Deb on March 30th with instructions. And to prove it to you — (about others I do not care) let me, my dear Boss, set your heart at ease. I happened to write to you about this O'Conor's letter on Friday — (at Madras) the Disinherited having advised me to do so. I sent my letter Friday. On Saturday, at 1:35 p.m. I received your telegram with your enquiry about O'Conor's letter. I answered as I was ordered and wrote to you that I should telegraph to Damodar in whose possession I left my answer to O'Conor to send it to you immediately. I sent the telegram on Saturday evening, but whether sent or not that night, it reached Damodar but Sunday when it was too late to send you a registered letter as he always does. Well, he sent it on Monday and you must have received it. Do not send it to O'Conor. I will have nothing to do with Mrs. Scott's friends now. I will have no more tests, no more insults, no more humiliation and explanation. Tear it after showing it to Mr. Hume. You are at liberty to show him also this letter. If your friends and sceptics will insist that, after receiving your telegram of enquiry I had time between Saturday and Monday to send to my "confederate" Damodar instructions, well show them the telegram he received from me on Sunday. This will prove, at least, that he had O'Conor's answer in his possession ever since March. And if it does not prove it well —

Qu'ils aillent se promener
Qu'ils aillent tous au diable
for what I care!

My love to dear Bossess. When does she or you think of going back on me and the Brothers Methinks I hear the cock crowing . . . . I hope I will not hear him crow thrice, O Peter, for your own not my sake.

Yours for ever in all the bitterness of my heart,
H. P. Blavatsky.

Yes; show this to Mr. Hume by all means. His is a family which has brought me luck ever since I crossed their threshold. Perhaps by this time Mrs. Minnie Scott will have remembered that it was she herself who gave me that last brooch I would not wonder.