ersion is harsh and poor enough, but the
thoughts are preserved, and _the_ thought is worthy of that noble
poet....

29, KING STREET, Saturday, 12th.
MY DEAREST HAL,

How many pleasant things I might lament over _if_ I might! I shall not
see St. Leonard's again with you. Emily has misunderstood in saying that
my engagement at the Princess Theatre does not begin till the 27th; it
begins on the 21st, next Monday week, and I shall only just have time to
get my wardrobe ready and study Desdemona and Cordelia, which I am asked
to play, and re-learn the music of Ophelia, which I have quite
forgotten....

I have an engagement offered me in Dublin, and it is rather provoking
that I cannot accept it now, for this, I believe, is the height of the
gay season there. As it is, I fear I shall not be able to go over there
till May; but perhaps then you will go with me, or be there, and that
will be some compensation for the less money I shall make.

It's curious all these engagements offering now within these few days:
to be sure, it never rains but it pours, so that accounts for it
philosophically.

Did I tell you what a nice long visit I had from Thackeray the other
day? Oh, have you read that "Vanity Fair" of his? It is wonderful! He
was a schoolfellow of my brother John's, you know, and is a very old
friend of mine, but I had not seen him for some time. I wrote to ask him
for his autograph for Henry Greville, and he wrote me an extremely kind
note, and came himself after it, and sat with me a very long time, and
was delightful.

Lady Charlotte Greville, who has just removed into a beautiful new house
she has arranged for herself, wrote to say she was coming to town
immediately, and hoped I would give my first London reading in her
drawing-room. Was not that nice and kind and good-natured of her, dear
old lady? But of course I declined, at any rate for the present, as I
mean to exhaust my natural enemies, the managers, before I have recourse
to my friends, in any way whatever. Kiss Dorothy for me, and don't let
her break your spirit with inquisitorial and vexatious supervision of
your actions. A timely resistance to friendly tyranny is a great saving
of trouble.

Good-bye, you bad dear.

I am yours ever,
FANNY.

[I wish to record a slight anecdote of my friend William Thackeray,