mine. Pray write
to me again some day, and I can't be too busy to be happy in the sight
of your familiar hand, associated in my mind with so much that I love
and honour.

Ever, my dear Mr. Watson, most faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mrs. Horne.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, TAVISTOCK SQUARE, _Oct. 20th, 1856._

MY DEAR MRS. HORNE,

I answer your note by return of post, in order that you may know that
the Stereoscopic Nottage has not written to me yet. Of course I will not
lose a moment in replying to him when he does address me.

We shall be greatly pleased to see you again. You have been very, very
often in our thoughts and on our lips, during this long interval.

And "she" is near you, is she? O I remember her well! And I am still of
my old opinion! Passionately devoted to her sex as I am (they are the
weakness of my existence), I still consider her a failure. She had some
extraordinary christian-name, which I forget. Lashed into verse by my
feelings, I am inclined to write:

My heart disowns
Ophelia Jones;

only I think it was a more sounding name.

Are these the tones--
Volumnia Jones?

No. Again it seems doubtful.

God bless her bones,
Petronia Jones!

I think not.

Carve I on stones
Olympia Jones?

Can _that_ be the name? Fond memory favours it more than any other. My
love to her.

Ever, my dear Mrs. Horne, very faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: The Duke of Devonshire.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _December 1st, 1856._

MY DEAR DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE,

The moment the first bill is printed for the first night of the new play
I told you of, I send it to you, in the hope that you will grace it with
your presence. There is not one of the old actors whom you will fail to
inspire as no one else can; and I hope you will see a little result of a
friendly union of the arts, that you may think worth seeing, and that
you can see nowhere else.

We propose repeating it on Thursday, the 8th; Monday, the 12th; and
Wednesday, the 14th of January. I do not encumber this note with so many
bills, and merely mention those nights in case any one of them should be
more convenient to you than the first.

But I shall hope for the first, unless you dash me (N. B.--I put Flora
into the current number on purpose that this might catch you softened
towards me, and at a disadvantage