improved--for the summer, and I hope you and yours will come there often
and stay there long. My present idea, if nothing should arise to unroot
me sooner, is to stay here until the middle of May, then plant the
family at Boulogne, and come with Catherine and Georgy home for two or
three weeks. When I shall next run across I don't know, but I suppose
next month.

We are up to our knees in mud here. Literally in vehement despair, I
walked down the avenue outside the Barriere de l'Etoile here yesterday,
and went straight on among the trees. I came back with top-boots of mud
on. Nothing will cleanse the streets. Numbers of men and women are for
ever scooping and sweeping in them, and they are always one lake of
yellow mud. All my trousers go to the tailor's every day, and are
ravelled out at the heels every night. Washing is awful.

Tell Mrs. Lemon, with my love, that I have bought her some Eau d'Or, in
grateful remembrance of her knowing what it is, and crushing the tyrant
of her existence by resolutely refusing to be put down when that monster
would have silenced her. You may imagine the loves and messages that are
now being poured in upon me by all of them, so I will give none of them;
though I am pretending to be very scrupulous about it, and am looking (I
have no doubt) as if I were writing them down with the greatest care.

Ever affectionately.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. Wilkie Collins.]

49, CHAMPS ELYSEES, _Saturday, Jan. 19th, 1856._

MY DEAR COLLINS,

I had no idea you were so far on with your book, and heartily
congratulate you on being within sight of land.

It is excessively pleasant to me to get your letter, as it opens a
perspective of theatrical and other lounging evenings, and also of
articles in "Household Words." It will not be the first time that we
shall have got on well in Paris, and I hope it will not be by many a
time the last.

I purpose coming over, early in February (as soon, in fact, as I shall
have knocked out No. 5 of "Little D."), and therefore we can return in a
jovial manner together. As soon as I know my day of coming over, I will
write to you again, and (as the merchants--say Charley--would add)
"communicate same" to you.

The lodging, _en garcon_, shall be duly looked up, and I shall of course
make a point of finding it close here. There will be no difficulty in
that. I will have concluded the treaty before sta