{Wurzburg, Jan. 21, 22, 1886}
My dear Mr. Sinnett,
I send you a funny thing. Read the 3rd, 4th, & 5th & 6th lines. This is undeniably my handwriting. Kandhalavala copied it from my letter to him. When I received and saw it I was positively startled. Let me write it "staunch fearless friends whose devotion to Master and yourself has not wavered one hair's breath" — I wrote it without looking at it, so as not to be impeded by the desire of copying it. Now I ask you, were such a letter a whole letter written in the same handwriting as these two 1/2 lines wouldn't [you] swear it was my handwriting? Please put it carefully away and keep it. Why Kandhalavala should have copied that sentence in my handwriting I do not know. Once he had written three letters copied from my own and brought them to me and I swore to them myself, not knowing what he meant. I wish you would write to him and ask him if he could send you a whole letter if you think that those two lines would not be sufficient to submit to an expert. I am determined to collect about half a dozen of forged and as many letters written by myself, and submit them to the same experts. We will see whether they are not caught. For after all the only damaging really damning proof against me for the world lies in those letters. Judge will write a few letters in my handwriting and Judge Kandhalavala the other. I tell them these lines are in my handwriting and I, the first, would swear to them in any Court.
D.N. has gone mad. Another piece of news. Wrote two three crazy letters to the Countess, finally wrote one in which he calls me a traitor to the Masters, says "what Sellin is to Theosophy that I am to Occultism," that "H.P.B. is a dangerous woman," he won't trust me, and that if I come to him to Elberfeld he "will run away." Wants the Countess, implores her to rush to Elberfeld by the next train — that the "Dweller on the Threshold" has come — that he is mad, dying, and will commit suicide etc. etc. The Countess of course rushed to Elberfeld and here I am once more alone! And she telegraphs to me "Arrived safely — Bowajee well!!!!! Now what's this? The boy is a fanatic and driven to madness by what he calls the desecration of the Mahatmas. To save Their names he is ready to do anything — even to repudiating Them publicly I verily believe. Well, here we are and nothing to be done. Another calamity, Hartmann is writing my defence! He tells me he was ordered to defend me and now writes what I enclose. "You are perfectly innocent of any wilful imposture." Is he going to make of me an irresponsible medium? That would be a last stroke to my reputation. What has he said to you? A third calamity. A letter from Buck, Cincinnati. Writes a few lines that I copy. "Can you tell me anything about the Society known as 'H.B. of L.' For the sake of the cause of the T.S. in this country send me anything you can on the subject. You can put it in two or three hasty lines, and I particularly desire to know whether Mrs. Kingsford is 'officially or otherwise connected with it.' P. Davidson is its outside figurehead. Is the Society he represents old or new? false or true? etc."
Yours sincerely,
J. D. Buck.
136, W. Eighth Street,
Cincinnati, O.,
U.S. America.
Now what do I know! Do you? It is evident there's some new treachery emanating from the fair Anna. For mercy sake get information and write him through Mohini if you do not wish to do so yourself. It is very important.
What next? Yes Times — I knew they would not publish my letter and really it is for the best. If they did or do, you will see what new vituperation it will bring. Outside of the Psychists, Theosophists and Spiritualists, no one will read the Report and the Times is universal. However, I have placed myself in your hands entirely.
1. My own sister is three years younger than I am (Mdme. Jelihovsky).
2. Sister Lisa is by father's second wife, he married in 1850 I believe a Baroness von Lange. She died two years after. Lisa was born I believe in 1852 — am not sure, but think I am right. My Mother died when my brother was born 6 months after in 1840 or 1839 — and this I can't tell. For mercy sake do not name her — what have the poor dead to do with all this vile thing called phenomena and H.P.B.!
3. Writing in French we Russians sign de before our names if noblemen of the "Velvet Book". In Russian — unless the name is German when they put von — the de is dropped. We were Mademoiselles de Hahn and von Hahn now — I would not put the de and never did to my Blavatsky name, though the old man was of a high noble family of the Ukraine — from the Hetmann Blavatko, becoming later Blavatsky in Russia and in Poland Count Blavatsky. What more? Father was a Captain of Horse Artillery when he married my mother. Left service after her death, a Colonel. Was in the 6th Brigade and came out a Sous Capitaine already from the Corps des Pages Imperiaux. Uncle Ivan Aleksievitch von Hahn was Director of the Ports of Russia in St. Petersburg. Married first to the demoiselle d'honneur — Countess Kontouzoff, and then en secondes noces another old maid of honour (a very stale one) Mdle. Chatoff. Uncle Gustave married first Countess Adlerberg — then the daughter of General Bronevsky etc. etc. I need not be ashamed of my family, but am of being "Mdme. Blavatsky," and if you can make me naturalised in Great Britain and become Mrs. Snookes or Tufmutton I will "kiss hands" as they say here. I do not joke. Otherwise I cannot return to India.
I am hard on S.D. What will come out of it I do not know but facts, facts and facts are heaped in it all relating to Christian robbery and theft.
Yours alone and shivering,
H.P.B.
Love to Mrs. Sinnett and yourself.
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