Letter from Friedrich Engels to Oscar Heidfeld, Liverpool, [London] 12 November 1891; only Engels's own copy of an excerpt survives. Manuscript preserved at the IISG (Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, inv. K 568), transcribed from the digital facsimile by the Escuela de marxismo, 2026 (double reading and collation with the image). Written in English. Diplomatic transcription: spelling, capitals and punctuation as in the manuscript; underlining rendered as italics; deletions as text ([ilegible] where they cannot be read); interlinear and marginal additions inserted where marked; [?] after an uncertain reading. Traducción al español
Dr Sir[?] — 12th[?] Nov. 91.
... I still hold the documents mentioned in your letter but they are of no value whatever now, the policy having lapsed long since through Mr Dronke's[?] failing to pay the premiums as he ought to have done. The very first premium due in Nov. 77 I did pay expecting to be repaid by him, but when I applied for the money he never replied, nor have I been able ever since to make out his address, though my Manchester solicitors took every trouble to find him out. Under these circumstances, & in view of the almost certainty that the gradual repayment with interest on the same & on the original loan would eat up more than any possible return for the policy there was[?] nothing left to me but to let the policy drop.
From what you tell me I must conclude that the same result wd have been arrived at had he not pledged the policy.