ss Kelly to be the _rara avis_ of
his thoughts, by the great attention he paid to every word she uttered.
Truly pleasant it must have been to her, even though accustomed to see
people listen breathless with admiration while she spoke, to find her
words have so much charm for such a man as Charles Lamb.

He appeared to enjoy himself greatly, much to the gratification of Mrs.
Hood, who often interchanged happy glances with Miss Lamb, who nodded
approvingly. He spoke much--with emphasis and hurry of words, sorely
impeded by the stammering utterance which in him was not unattractive.
Miss Kelly (charming, natural Miss Kelly, who has drawn from her
audiences more heart-felt tears and smiles than perhaps any other
English actress), with quiet good-humour listened and laughed at the
witty sallies of her host and his gifted friend, seeming as little an
actress as it is possible to conceive. Once, however, when some allusion
was made to a comic scene in a new play then just brought out, wherein
she had performed to the life the character of a low-bred lady's-maid
passing herself off as her mistress, Miss Kelly arose, and with a kind
of resistless ardour repeated a few sentences so inimitably that
everybody laughed as much as if the real lady's-maid, and not the
actress, had been before them; while she who had so well personated the
part quietly resumed her seat without the least sign of merriment, as
grave as possible. Most striking had been the transition from the calm,
lady-like person, to the gay, loquacious soubrette; and not less so the
sudden extinction of vivacity and resumption of well-bred decorum. This
little scene for a few moments charmed everybody out of themselves, and
gave a new impetus to conversation....

Mr. Lamb oddly walked all round the table, looking closely at any dish
that struck his fancy before he would decide where to sit, telling Mrs.
Hood that he should by that means know how to select some dish that was
difficult to carve, and take the trouble off her hands; accordingly,
having jested in this manner, he placed himself with great deliberation
before a lobster-salad, observing _that_ was the thing. On her asking
him to take some roast fowl, he assented. "What part shall I help you
to, Mr. Lamb?" "Back," said he quickly; "I always prefer the back." My
husband laid down his knife and fork, and, looking upwards, exclaimed:
"By heavens! I could not have believed it, if anybody else had sworn
it." "Believ