Realizing that Holmes has misunderstood him, he writes, "I'm not urging you to impossible action; I intended to explain why I didn't wait for proof before lacing the civil center with protective spells." As it occurs to him, he adds, "I must apologize for my uncivil acceptance of your hospitality earlier;" since wolfing food down is an unusually embarrassing concept for him, "you were entirely correct about my intake today, and there was a good deal of spellcasting."