t or not. But I had a delightful evening, and
I do not care who knows it; in fact, I wish everybody to know it, and
that is why I write to your widely circulated (and widely yawned-over)
journal. You have not been over civil to me of late, which is very
ungrateful. You may say, with an attempt at wit, that the owl was a
baker's child, and therefore crusty. I believe that you could win the
prize for the worst conundrum in any circus in Yorkshire.

Receive the assurance of my profound respect.

"Ever yours,

"WHITBY.
"ZAMIEL'S OWL."

While at Whitby, a deputation from the Institute of that town waited on
John Leech, to ask him to attend at a meeting and speak in promotion of
the interests of their association. On that day he happened to be too
ill to bear an interview with more than one of the gentlemen who
composed the deputation, and was obliged in consequence to refuse the
request. But the refusal gave the kindly, failing man serious
disquietude, and fearing it might be thought ungracious, he forthwith
sent for all his sketches of character from London and presented them to
the Institute.

Fechter was the leading dramatic star of that time, and his opening
night differed from the commencement of other theatrical seasons in the
fact that it invariably attracted together some of the best known men in
literature and art. At the opening of the Lyceum on Saturday, the 22nd
of October, were present Messrs. Charles Dickens, Shirley Brooks,
Hollingshead, Oxenford, Horace Mayhew, Edmund Yates, W. P. Frith, R.A.,
Creswick, R.A., Marcus Stone, Mr. Burnand (the present editor of
_Punch_), and Serjeant Ballantine. "The new piece," said Mr. Yates, "was
splendidly mounted, and never, even in Paris, have I seen Mr. Fechter
play so perfectly."[165] The said piece was called "The King's
Butterfly," and Mr. Brooks says of it that, barring the "splendid
scenery," it was "rubbish" pure and simple.

The Leeches left Whitby on the 3rd of October, breaking their journey at
York. The artist seemed somewhat better, and ten days after their return
we find them at a party at the house of Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., among the
company being Messrs. Elmore, Creswick, Yates, George Cruikshank,
Solomon Hart, and others. Between the date of this party, on Thursday
the 13th, and that of the usual _Punch_ dinner, on Wednesday the 26th of
October, at which the artist was present, a visible change had, however,
taken place