6 July, 1845. MON CHER DICKENS, Nous sommes enchantes de
votre retour. Voici, thank God, Devonshire Place ressuscite. Venez
luncheoner demain a 1 heure, et amenez notre brave ami Forster.
J'attends la perle fine des couriers. Vous l'immortalisez par ce
certificat--la difficulte sera de trouver un maitre digne de lui.
J'essayerai de tout mon coeur. La Reine devroit le prendre pour aller
en Saxe Gotha, car je suis convaincu qu'il est assez intelligent pour
pouvoir decouvrir ce Royaume. Gore House vous envoye un cargo d'amities
des plus sinceres. Donnez de ma part 100,000 kind regards a Madame
Dickens. Toujours votre affectionne, Ce D'ORSAY. J'ai vu le courier,
c'est le tableau de l'honnetete, et de la bonne humeur. Don't forget to
be here at one to-morrow, with Forster."

[107] "Look here! Enclosed are two packets--a large one and a small one.
The small one, read first. It contains Stanny's renunciation as an
actor!!! After receiving it, at dinner time to-day" (22nd of August), "I
gave my brains a shake, and thought of George Cruikshank. After much
shaking, I made up the big packet, wherein I have put the case in the
artfullest manner. R-r-r-r-ead it! as a certain Captain whom you know
observes." The great artist was not for that time procurable, having
engagements away from London, and Mr. Dudley Costello was substituted;
Stanfield taking off the edge of his desertion as an actor by doing
valuable work in management and scenery.

[108] Characteristic glimpse of this Broadstairs holiday is afforded by
a letter of the 19th of August 1845. "Perhaps it is a fair specimen of
the odd adventures which befall the inimitable, that the cab in which
the children and the luggage were (I and my womankind being in the
other) got its shafts broken in the city, last Friday morning, through
the horse stumbling on the greasy pavement; _and was drawn to the wharf
(about a mile) by a stout man_, amid such frightful howlings and
derisive yellings on the part of an infuriated populace, as I never
heard before. Conceive the man in the broken shafts with his back
towards the cab; all the children looking out of the windows; and the
muddy portmanteaus and so forth (which were all tumbled down when the
horse fell) tottering and nodding on the box! The best of it was, that
_our_ cabman, being an intimate friend of the damaged cabman, insisted
on keeping him company; and proceeded at a solemn walk, in front of the
procession; thereby securing to m