the town.

A propos of places, my father has been at me again about P--. Would you
think it? This lad has a hundred and twenty pounds a year for life! I
could not believe my ears; but so it is; and I, who have not a penny,
with half a dozen brothers and sisters as poor as myself, am to move
heaven and earth to push this boy who, as he is the silliest, is also, I
think, the richest relation that I have in the world.

I am to dine on Thursday with the Fishmongers' Company, the first
company for gourmandise in the world. Their magnificent Hall near London
Bridge is not yet built, but, as respects eating and drinking, I shall
be no loser; for we are to be entertained at the Albion Tavern. This is
the first dinner-party that I shall have been to for a long time. There
is nobody in town that I know except official men, and they have left
their wives and households in the country. I met Poodle Byng, it is
true, the day before yesterday in the street; and he begged me to make
haste to Brooks's; for Lord Essex was there, he said, whipping up for a
dinner-party; cursing and swearing at all his friends for being out
of town; and wishing--what an honour!--that Macaulay was in London. I
preserved all the dignity of a young lady in an affaire du coeur. "I
shall not run after my Lord, I assure you. If he wants me, he knows
where he may hear of me." This nibble is the nearest approach to a
dinner-party that I have had.

Ever yours

T. B. M.

London: November 1, 1833.

Dear Hannah,--I have not much to add to what I told you yesterday; but
everything that I have to add looks one way. We have a new Chairman and
Deputy Chairman, both very strongly in my favour. Sharp, by whom I sate
yesterday at the Fishmongers' dinner, told me that my old enemy James
Mill had spoken to him on the subject. Mill is, as you have heard, at
the head of one of the principal departments of the India House. The
late Chairman consulted him about me; hoping, I suppose, to have his
support against me. Mill said, very handsomely, that he would advise
the Company to take me; for, as public men went, I was much above the
average, and, if they rejected me, he thought it very unlikely that they
would get anybody so fit. This is all the news that I have to give you.
It is not much. But I wish to keep you as fully informed of what is
going on as I am myself.

Old Sharp told me that I was acting quite wisely, but that he should
never see me again; and he cried as