There has been a horrible accident in Edinburgh. One of the seven-storey
old houses in the High Street fell when it was full of people. Berry was
at the bill-poster's house, a few doors off, waiting for him to come
home, when he heard what seemed like thunder, and then the air was
darkened with dust, "as if an immense quantity of steam had been blown
off," and then all that dismal quarter set up shrieks, which he says
were most dreadful.

[Sidenote: Miss Dickens.]

WATERLOO HOTEL, EDINBURGH, _Wednesday, Nov. 27th, 1861._

Mrs. Bouncer must decidedly come with you to Carlisle. She shall be
received with open arms. Apropos of Carlisle, let me know _when_ you
purpose coming there. We shall be there, please God, on the Saturday in
good time, as I finish at Glasgow on the Friday night.

I have very little notion of the state of affairs here, as Headland
brought no more decisive information from the agents yesterday (he never
_can_ get decisive information from any agents), than "the teeckets air
joost moving reecht and left." I hope this may be taken as satisfactory.
Jenny Lind carried off a world of money from here. Miss Glyn, or Mrs.
Dallas, is playing Lady Macbeth at the theatre, and Mr. Shirley Brooks
is giving two lectures at the Philosophical Society on the House of
Commons and Horace Walpole. Grisi's farewell benefits are (I think) on
my last two nights here.

Gordon dined with me yesterday. He is, if anything, rather better, I
think, than when we last saw him in town. He was immensely pleased to be
with me. I went with him (as his office goes anywhere) right into and
among the ruins of the fallen building yesterday. They were still at
work trying to find two men (brothers), a young girl, and an old woman,
known to be all lying there. On the walls two or three common clocks are
still hanging; one of them, judging from the time at which it stopped,
would seem to have gone for an hour or so after the fall. Great interest
had been taken in a poor linnet in a cage, hanging in the wind and rain
high up against the broken wall. A fireman got it down alive, and great
exultation had been raised over it. One woman, who was dug out unhurt,
staggered into the street, stared all round her, instantly ran away, and
has never been heard of since. It is a most extraordinary sight, and of
course makes a great sensation.

[Sidenote: Miss Dickens.]

WATERLOO HOTEL, EDINBURGH, _Friday, Nov. 2