Most affectionately yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. Marcus Stone.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _December 19th, 1853._

MY DEAR MARCUS,

You made an excellent sketch from a book of mine which I have received
(and have preserved) with great pleasure. Will you accept from me, in
remembrance of it, _this_ little book? I believe it to be true, though
it may be sometimes not as genteel as history has a habit of being.

Faithfully yours.

FOOTNOTE:

[15] Meaning Mr. W. H. Wills himself.

1854.

NARRATIVE.

The summer of this year was also spent at Boulogne, M. Beaucourt being
again the landlord; but the house, though still on the same "property,"
stood on the top of the hill, above the Moulineaux, and was called the
Villa du Camp de Droite.

In the early part of the year Charles Dickens paid several visits to the
English provinces, giving readings from his books at many of the large
manufacturing towns, and always for some good and charitable purpose.

He was still at work upon "Hard Times," which was finished during the
summer, and was constantly occupied with "Household Words." Many of our
letters for this year are to the contributors to this journal. The last
is an unusually interesting one. He had for some time past been much
charmed with the writings of a certain Miss Berwick, who, he knew, to be
a contributor under a feigned name. When at last the lady confided her
real name, and he discovered in the young poetess the daughter of his
dear friends, Mr.[16] and Mrs. Procter, the "new sensation" caused him
intense surprise, and the greatest pleasure and delight. Miss Adelaide
Procter was, from this time, a frequent contributor to "Household
Words," more especially to the Christmas numbers.

There are really very few letters in this year requiring any explanation
from us--many explaining themselves, and many having allusion to
incidents in the past year, which have been duly noted by us for 1853.

The portrait mentioned in the letter to Mr. Collins, for which he was
sitting to Mr. E. M. Ward, R.A., was to be one of a series of oil
sketches of the then celebrated literary men of the day, in their
studies. We believe this portrait to be now in the possession of Mrs.
Ward.

In explanation of the letter to Mr. John Saunders on the subject of the
production of the latter's play, called "Love's Martyrdom," we will