en, the Lady who believes her young Lover dead, and has vowed
eternal Celibacy, sees him advancing, a portly, well to do, middle aged
man: and swears she won't have him: and does have him, etc.

Which reminds me that I want you to tell me if people in America read
Crabbe.

Farewell, dear Mrs. Kemble, for the present: always yours

E. F.G.

Have you the Robin in America? One is singing in the little bit Garden
before me now.

XXII.

59 MONTAGU SQUARE, LONDON, W.
5 _Oct._/74.

MY DEAR FITZ,

It is very good of Mrs. Kemble to wish to tell me a story about Macready,
and I shall be glad to know it.

Only--she should know that I am not writing his life--but editing his
autobiographical reminiscences and diaries--and unless the anecdote could
be introduced to explain or illustrate these, it would not be serviceable
for my present purpose.

But for its own sake and for Macready's I should like to be made
acquainted with it.

I am making rapid way with the printing--in fact have got to the end of
what will be Vol. I. in slip--so that I hope the work may be out by or
soon after Christmas, if the engravings are also ready by that time.

It will be, I am sure, most interesting--and will surprise a great many
people who did not at all know what Macready really was.

You last heard of me at Clovelly--where we spent a delightful month--more
rain than was pleasant--but on the whole charming. I think I told you
that Annie Thackeray was there for a night--and that we bound her over
not to make the reading public too well acquainted with the place, which
would not be good for it.

Since then--a fortnight at St. Julians--and the same time at Tunbridge
Wells--I coming up to town three times a week--

Noctes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis, {56}

and as there are other points of resemblance--so it is natural that the
Gates of Justice should be open even during the Vacation--just a little
ajar--with somebody to look after it, which somebody it has been my lot
to be this year.

T. Wells was very pleasant--I like the old-fashioned place--and can
always people the Pantiles (they call it the Parade now) with Dr. Johnson
and the Duchess of Kingston, and the Bishop of Salisbury and the foreign
baron, and the rest. {57a}

Miladi and Walter are at Paris for a few days. I am keeping house with
Maurice--Yours, W. F. Pk.

We have J. S.'s {57b} seventh volume--and I am going to read it--but do
not know where he