d to me that Webster was going to
decline the play, and that he really has worried himself into a fear of
playing Aaron.

Now, when I got this into my head--which was during the rehearsal--I
considered two things:--firstly, how we could best put about the success
of the piece more widely and extensively even than it has yet reached;
and secondly, how you could be best assisted against a bad production
of it hereafter, or no production of it. I thought I saw immediately,
that the point would be to have this representation noticed in the
newspapers. So I waited until the rehearsal was over and we had
profoundly astonished the family, and then asked Colonel Waugh what he
thought of sending some cards for Tuesday to the papers. He highly
approved, and I yesterday morning directed Mitchell to send to all the
morning papers, and to some of the weekly ones--a dozen in the whole.

I dined at Lord John's yesterday (where Meyerbeer was, and said to me
after dinner: "Ah, mon ami illustre! que c'est noble de vous entendre
parler d'haute voix morale, a la table d'un ministre!" for I gave them a
little bit of truth about Sunday that was like bringing a Sebastopol
battery among the polite company), I say, after this long parenthesis, I
dined at Lord John's, and found great interest and talk about the play,
and about what everybody who had been here had said of it. And I was
confirmed in my decision that the thing for you was the invitation to
the papers. Hence I write to tell you what I have done.

I dine at home at half-past five if you are disengaged, and I shall be
at home all the evening.

Ever faithfully.

NOTE (by Mr. Wilkie Collins).--This
characteristically kind endeavour to induce
managers of theatres to produce "The
Lighthouse," after the amateur performances of
the play, was not attended with any immediate
success. The work remained in the author's desk
until Messrs. Robson and Emden undertook the
management of the Olympic Theatre. They opened
their first season with "The Lighthouse;" the
part of Aaron Gurnock being performed by Mr. F.
Robson.--W. C.

[Sidenote: Miss Emily Jolly.]

3, ALBION VILLAS, FOLKESTONE, KENT,
_Tuesday, 17th July, 1855._

DEAR MADAM,[62]

Your manuscript, entitled a "Wife's Story," h