Mama wished me to write someone at the firm, and as I know Uncle Alec is abroad just now, I am taking the liberty of addressing you. We are in a good deal of trouble. Yesterday afternoon, Papa fell through the floor of that old Martello tower on the island in the bay, twenty feet down into an abandoned quarry, onto some jagged rocks.

Forgive me, Mr. Lanman, I cannot stop there—it would rather relieve my mind to use the few minutes before the mail goes in telling you about it. You see, there was no passable opening of any kind on the ground floor of the tower, and we had to enter it by climbing a ladder to a window. Fortunately, some gentlemen arrived soon after us, raised the ladder, and lowered it inside—the floor consisted of nothing but beams some distance apart—and succeeded in dragging Papa up. Then he had to be lowered on the ladder to the ground, carried a long way to the water, and then rowed to Grange House. Dr. Lewes tended to him, and another doctor came in the evening and has been here ever since. Papa has not been unconscious or delirious, but last night he suffered frightfully. Today he is better, and the doctor says he thinks that while the injury to the spine is most severe, it is not fatal and that he will eventually recover. He must have fallen directly on his back, as the back of his head is dreadfully gashed. He will have to lie quite quiet for a fortnight at least. Just try to fancy how awful it was when he was down, away down, under the floor, and we could just see him but not get to him.

This is the most beautiful place I know, and the people are so kind—but oh, it is so far from home and everyone. I hope you haven’t minded this chapter of horrors, but it has eased my heart considerably simply to write it all out.

Yours,

Maisie Thomas

Grange House

14 August 1896

Dear Mr. Lanman,

Thank you very much for your letter of the seventh, which came on Monday and cheered me a great deal.

If only you knew how miserable we are. Papa is much worse. Since Tuesday night, he has not been rational at all. He has been very restless but is a little quieter now, and is in a sort of stupor most of the time. Beside the concussion of the spine, one lung is now congested.