rt some day--and his only relaxation is
when I enact "John and the Boots," which I consequently do enact all day
long. The papers are full of remarks upon my white tie, and describe it
as being of enormous size, which is a wonderful delusion, because, as
you very well know, it is a small tie. Generally, I am happy to report,
the Emerald press is in favour of my appearance, and likes my eyes. But
one gentleman comes out with a letter at Cork, wherein he says that
although only forty-six I look like an old man. _He_ is a rum customer,
I think.

The Rutherfords are living here, and wanted me to dine with them, which,
I needn't say, could not be done; all manner of people have called, but
I have seen only two. John has given it up altogether as to rivalry with
the Boots, and did not come into my room this morning at all. Boots
appeared triumphant and alone. He was waiting for me at the hotel-door
last night. "Whaa't sart of a hoose, sur?" he asked me. "Capital." "The
Lard be praised fur the 'onor o' Dooblin!"

Arthur buys bad apples in the streets and brings them home and doesn't
eat them, and then I am obliged to put them in the balcony because they
make the room smell faint. Also he meets countrymen with honeycomb on
their heads, and leads them (by the buttonhole when they have one) to
this gorgeous establishment and requests the bar to buy honeycomb for
his breakfast; then it stands upon the sideboard uncovered and the flies
fall into it. He buys owls, too, and castles, and other horrible
objects, made in bog-oak (that material which is not appreciated at
Gad's Hill); and he is perpetually snipping pieces out of newspapers and
sending them all over the world. While I am reading he conducts the
correspondence, and his great delight is to show me seventeen or
eighteen letters when I come, exhausted, into the retiring-place. Berry
has not got into any particular trouble for forty-eight hours, except
that he is all over boils. I have prescribed the yeast, but
ineffectually. It is indeed a sight to see him and John sitting in
pay-boxes, and surveying Ireland out of pigeon-holes.

_Same Evening before Bed-time._

Everybody was at "Little Dombey" to-day, and although I had some little
difficulty to work them up in consequence of the excessive crowding of
the place, and the difficulty of shaking the people into their seats,
the effect was unmistakable and profound. The crying was univers