he may not dislike.
Haldimand will tell you what they are. Kate and Georgy send their
kindest loves, and Kate is "going" to write "next week." Believe me
always, my dear Cerjat, full of cordial and hearty recollections of this
past summer and autumn, and your part in my part of them,

Very faithfully your Friend.

[Sidenote: Mrs. Charles Dickens.]

58, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS, _Saturday, Dec. 19th, 1846._

MY DEAREST KATE,

I really am bothered to death by this confounded _dramatization_ of the
Christmas book. They were in a state so horrible at Keeley's yesterday
(as perhaps Forster told you when he wrote), that I was obliged to
engage to read the book to them this morning. It struck me that Mrs.
Leigh Murray, Miss Daly, and Vining seemed to understand it best.
Certainly Miss Daly knew best what she was about yesterday. At eight
to-night we have a rehearsal with scenery and band, and everything but
dresses. I see no possibility of escaping from it before one or two
o'clock in the morning. And I was at the theatre all day yesterday.
Unless I had come to London, I do not think there would have been much
hope of the version being more than just tolerated, even that doubtful.
All the actors bad, all the business frightfully behindhand. The very
words of the book confused in the copying into the densest and most
insufferable nonsense. I must exempt, however, from the general
slackness both the Keeleys. I hope they will be very good. I have never
seen anything of its kind better than the manner in which they played
the little supper scene between Clemency and Britain, yesterday. It was
quite perfect, even to me.

The small manager, Forster, Talfourd, Stanny, and Mac dine with me at
the Piazza to-day, before the rehearsal. I have already one or two
uncommonly good stories of Mac. I reserve them for narration. I have
also a dreadful cold, which I would not reserve if I could help it. I
can hardly hold up my head, and fight through from hour to hour, but had
serious thoughts just now of walking off to bed.

Christmas book published to-day--twenty-three thousand copies already
gone!!! Browne's plates for next "Dombey" much better than usual.

I have seen nobody yet, of course. But I sent Roche up to your mother
this morning, to say I am in town and will come shortly. There is a
great thaw here to-day, and it is raining hard. I hope you have the
advantage (if it be