I have not had time to look over the
words of "The Child and the Old Man." It occurs to me, as I shall see
you on Wednesday morning, that the best plan will be for you to bring
the music (if you possibly can) without the words, and we can put them
in then. Of course this observation applies only to that particular
song.

Braham having sent to me about the farce, I called on him this morning.
Harley wrote, when he had read the whole of the opera, saying: "It's a
sure card--nothing wrong there. Bet you ten pound it runs fifty nights.
Come; don't be afraid. You'll be the gainer by it, and you mustn't mind
betting; it's a capital custom." They tell the story with infinite
relish. I saw the fair manageress,[2] who is fully of Harley's opinion,
so is Braham. The only difference is, that they are far more
enthusiastic than Harley--far more enthusiastic than ourselves even.
That is a bold word, isn't it? It is a true one, nevertheless.

"Depend upon it, sir," said Braham to Hogarth yesterday, when he went
there to say I should be in town to-day, "depend upon it, sir, that
there has been no such music since the days of Sheil, and no such piece
since "The Duenna."" "Everybody is delighted with it," he added, to me
to-day. "I played it to Stansbury, who is by no means an excitable
person, and he was charmed." This was said with great emphasis, but I
have forgotten the grand point. It was not, "I played it to Stansbury,"
but, "I sang it--_all through_!!!"

I begged him, as the choruses are to be put into rehearsal directly the
company get together, to let us have, through Mrs. Braham, the necessary
passports to the stage, which will be forwarded. He leaves town on the
_8th of September_. He will be absent a month, and the first rehearsal
will take place immediately on his return; previous to it (I mean the
first rehearsal--not the return) I am to read the piece. His only
remaining suggestion is, that Miss Rainforth will want another song when
the piece is in rehearsal--"a bravura--something in the 'Soldier Tired'
way." We must have a confab about this on Wednesday morning.

Harley called in Furnival's Inn, to express his high delight and
gratification, but unfortunately we had left town. I shall be at
head-quarters by 12 Wednesday noon.

Believe me, dear Hullah,
Most faithfully yours.

P.S.--Tell me on Wednesday when you can come down here, for a