whole to be completed--paper excepted--and all
rubbish cleared away by the 30th day of November,
1861.

"(Signed) J. COUCHMAN,
"Builder.
"_High Street, Strood_,
"_Sep. 10th, 1861._"

Then follows in Dickens's own handwriting:--

"_The above contract I accept on the stipulated
conditions; the specified _time_, in common with
all the other conditions, to be strictly
observed._

"(Signed) CHARLES DICKENS.

"_Gad's Hill Place,_
"_Saturday, 21st Sep., 1861._"

What is most interesting to notice in the above specification, is the
careful way in which Dickens appears to have mastered all the details,
and the very sensible interlineations given in italics which he made,
(1) as to the sashes and weights, (2) as to the two cisterns, and
especially (3) in the final memorandum as to _time_.

It is also worthy of remark, that the work _was_ completed in the
specified time, the bill duly sent in, and the next day Dickens sent a
cheque for the amount.

Another contract, amounting to L393, was executed by Mr. Couchman, for
extensions at Gad's Hill. On its completion, Mr. Dickens paid him by two
cheques. He went up to London to the Bank (Coutts's in the Strand) to
cash them. The clerk just looked at the cheques, the signature
apparently being very familiar to him, and then put the usual
question--"How will you have it?" to which he replied, "Notes, please."

It appears that, as is frequently the case in large establishments,
orders were sometimes given by the servants for work which the master
knew nothing about until the bill was presented; and to prevent this,
Dickens issued instructions to the tradesmen that they were not to
execute any work for him without his written authority. The following is
an illustration of this new arrangement:--

"GAD'S HILL PLACE,
"HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT.
"_Thursday, 5th Nov., 1858._

"MR. COUCHMAN,

"Please to ease the coach-house doors, and to put
up some pegs, agreeably to George Belcher's
directions.

"CHARLES DICKENS."

It should be mentioned that George Belcher was the coachman a