ch no man can have a more profound respect for. I think it
excellent, feel a personal pride and pleasure in it which is a
delightful sensation, and know no one else who could have done it.

Of myself I have only to report that I have been hard at it with "Little
Dorrit," and am now doing No. 10. This last week I sketched out the
notion, characters, and progress of the farce, and sent it off to Mark,
who has been ill of an ague. It ought to be very funny. The cat business
is too ludicrous to be treated of in so small a sheet of paper, so I
must describe it _viva voce_ when I come to town. French has been so
insufferably conceited since he shot tigerish cat No. 1 (intent on the
noble Dick, with green eyes three inches in advance of her head), that I
am afraid I shall have to part with him. All the boys likewise (in new
clothes and ready for church) are at this instant prone on their
stomachs behind bushes, whooshing and crying (after tigerish cat No. 2):
"French!" "Here she comes!" "There she goes!" etc. I dare not put my
head out of window for fear of being shot (it is as like a _coup d'etat_
as possible), and tradesmen coming up the avenue cry plaintively: "_Ne
tirez pas, Monsieur Fleench; c'est moi--boulanger. Ne tirez pas, mon
ami._"

Likewise I shall have to recount to you the secret history of a robbery
at the Pavilion at Folkestone, which you will have to write.

Tell Piggot, when you see him, that we shall all be much pleased if he
will come at his own convenience while you are here, and stay a few days
with us.

I shall have more than one notion of future work to suggest to you while
we are beguiling the dreariness of an arctic winter in these parts. May
they prosper!

Kind regards from all to the Dramatic Poet of the establishment, and to
the D. P.'s mother and brother.

Ever yours.

P.S.--If the "Flying Dutchman" should be done again, pray do go and see
it. Webster expressed his opinion to me that it was "a neat piece." I
implore you to go and see a neat piece.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. H. Wills.]

BOULOGNE, _Thursday, August 7th, 1856._

MY DEAR WILLS,

I do not feel disposed to record those two Chancery cases; firstly,
because I would rather have no part in engendering in the mind of any
human creature, a hopeful confidence in that den of iniquity.

And secondly, because it seems to me that the real philosophy o