ern; the identical dial which one of the clowns in his
plays drew out of a poke, and a ring with W. S. engraved on it, found
in the churchyard some years ago, and, no doubt, dropped there by the
poet himself, while absorbed in the composition of his famous and
world-renowned elegy.

There were several portraits of him also, all utterly unlike one
another, or only agreeing in one respect, namely, their total
dissimilarity from the bust.

We likewise saw the very desk SHAKSPEARE used, after creeping
unwillingly to school with a shining face like a snail's. I was pained
to see evidence of the mischievousness of the juvenile genius, for it
was slashed and hacked to such a doleful degree as to be totally
incapacitated for scholastic use!

I myself was sprightly in my youth, but never, I am proud to say, to the
extent of wilfully damaging my master's furniture! Before leaving, we
walked to visit the residence of SHAKSPEARE'S wife, which turned out to
be a very humble thatched-roof affair, such as is commonly occupied by
peasants.

But, as Mrs ALLBUTT-INNETT said, it is a sad fact that distinguished
literary characters often make most imprudent marriages. Which put me in
a wonderment whether she had heard anything about myself and Miss
MANKLETOW.

At one of the bazaars I purchased a beautiful Shakspearian souvenir, in
the form of a coloured porcelain model of SHAKSPEARE'S birthplace,
which can be rendered transparent and luminous by the insertion of a
night-light.

This I had intended humbly to offer for the gracious acceptance of Miss
WEE-WEE, but having thrust it into a coat-tail pocket, I unfortunately
sat upon it in the train as we were returning.

So I presented it as a token of remembrance to JESSIMINA, who was
transported with delight at the gift, which she said could be easily
rendered the _statu quo_ by dint of a little diamond cement.

XVII

_Containing some intimate confidences from Mr Jabberjee, with the
explanation of such apparent indiscretion._

Since writing my latest contribution I have folded up my tent like an
Arab, and silently stolen away from Porticobello House, this independent
hook being taken under the ostensible and colourable pretext of a
medical opinion that the climate of Bayswater was operating injuriously
upon my internal arrangements, but the real _causa causans_ and _dessous
des cartes_ being a growing disinclination for the society of select
male and female boarders.