Byron.

In the quiet of my retreat I remained for eight days--during which time
I never looked once at a newspaper--imagine how great was my philosophy!
On the ninth, I began to think it high time I should hear from Dawton;
and finding that I had eaten two rolls for breakfast, and that my
untimely wrinkle began to assume a more mitigated appearance, I
bethought me once more of the "Beauties of Babylon."

While I was in this kindly mood towards the great city and its
inhabitants, my landlady put two letters in my hand--one was from my
mother, the other from Guloseton. I opened the latter first; it ran
thus:

"Dear Pelham,

"I was very sorry to hear you had left town--and so unexpectedly too. I
obtained your address from Mivart's, and hasten to avail myself of
it. Pray come to town immediately, I have received some chevreuil as
a present, and long for your opinion; it is too nice to keep: for all
things nice were made but to grow bad when nicest; as Moore, I believe,
says of flowers, substituting sweet and fleetest, for bad and nicest;
so, you see, you must come without loss of time.

"But you, my friend--how can you possibly have been spending your time?
I was kept awake all last night, by thinking what you could have for
dinner. Fish is out of the question in the country; chickens die of the
pip every where but in London; game is out of season; it is impossible
to send to Gibblet's for meat; it is equally impossible to get it any
where else; and as for the only two natural productions of the country,
vegetables and eggs, I need no extraordinary penetration, to be certain,
that your cook cannot transmute the latter into an omelette aux huitres,
on the former into legumes a la creme.

"Thus, you see, by a series of undeniable demonstrations, you must
absolutely be in a state of starvation. At this thought, the tears rush
into my eyes: for heaven's sake, for my sake, for your own sake, but
above all, for the sake of the chevreuil, hasten to London. I figure you
to myself in the last stage of atrophy--airy as a trifle, thin as the
ghost of a greyhound.

"I need say no more on the subject. I may rely on your own discretion,
to procure me the immediate pleasure of your company. Indeed, were I to
dwell longer on your melancholy situation, my feelings would overcome
me--Mais, revenons a nos moutons--(a most pertinent phrase, by the
by--oh! the French excel us in every thing, from the paramount science
of cookery, to th