ness--er--indescribably mixed up together, it does--er--no,
really, Dickens!--amaze me as profoundly as it moves me. But as a piece
of art--and you know--er--that I--no, Dickens! By ----! have seen the
best art in a great time--it is incomprehensible to me. How is it got
at--er--how is it done--er--how one man can--well? It lays me on
my--er--back, and it is of no use talking about it!" With which he put
his hand upon my breast and pulled out his pocket-handkerchief, and I
felt as if I were doing somebody to his Werner. Katie, by-the-bye, is a
wonderful audience, and has a great fund of wild feeling in her. Johnny
not at all unlike Plorn.

I have not yet seen the room here, but imagine it to be very small.
Exeter I know, and that is small also. I am very much used up, on the
whole, for I cannot bear this moist warm climate. It would kill me very
soon. And I have now got to the point of taking so much out of myself
with "Copperfield," that I might as well do Richard Wardour.

You have now, my dearest Georgy, the fullest extent of my tidings. This
is a very pretty place--a compound of Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, and
little bits of the hills about Naples; but I met four respirators as I
came up from the station, and three pale curates without them, who
seemed in a bad way.

Frightful intelligence has just been brought in by Boylett, concerning
the small size of the room. I have terrified Headland by sending him to
look at it, and swearing that if it's too small I will go away to
Exeter.

[Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.]

ADELPHI HOTEL, LIVERPOOL, _Tuesday, Jan. 28th, 1862._

The beautiful room was crammed to excess last night, and numbers were
turned away. Its beauty and completeness when it is lighted up are most
brilliant to behold, and for a reading it is simply perfect. You
remember that a Liverpool audience is usually dull, but they put me on
my mettle last night, for I never saw such an audience--no, not even in
Edinburgh!

I slept horribly last night, and have been over to Birkenhead for a
little change of air to-day. My head is dazed and worn by gas and heat,
and I fear that "Copperfield" and "Bob" together to-night won't mend it.

Best love to Mamie and Katie, if still at Gad's. I am going to bring the
boys some toffee.

[Sidenote: The Misses Armstrong]

GAD'S HILL PLACE, HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT,
_Monday, Feb. 10th, 1862._