hope you will follow up your idea about
the defective state of the law in reference to women, by some remarks on
the inadequate punishment of that ruffian flippantly called by the
liners the Wholesale Matrimonial Speculator. My opinion is, that in any
well-ordered state of society, and advanced spirit of social
jurisprudence, he would have been flogged more than once (privately),
and certainly sentenced to transportation for no less a term than the
rest of his life. Surely the man who threw the woman out of window was
no worse, if so bad."

[125] Ten days before there had been a visit from Mr. Ainsworth and his
daughters on their way to Geneva. "I breakfasted with him at the hotel
Gibbon next morning and they dined here afterwards, and we walked about
all day, talking of our old days at Kensal-lodge." The same letter told
me: "We had a regatta at Ouchy the other day, mainly supported by the
contributions of the English handfull. It concluded with a rowing-match
by women, which was very funny. I wish you could have seen Roche appear
on the Lake, rowing, in an immense boat, Cook, Anne, two nurses, Katey,
Mamey, Walley, Chickenstalker, and Baby; no boatmen or other degrading
assistance; and all sorts of Swiss tubs splashing about them . . . Senior
is coming here to-morrow, I believe, with his wife; and they talk of
Brunel and his wife as on their way. We dine at Haldimand's to meet
Senior--which solitary and most interesting piece of intelligence is all
the news I know of . . . Take care you don't back out of your Paris
engagement; but that we really do have (please God) some happy hours
there. Kate, Georgy, Mamey, Katey, Charley, Walley, Chickenstalker, and
Baby, send loves. . . . I am all anxiety and fever to know what we start
_Dombey_ with!"

[126] This was the fourth Baron Vernon, who succeeded to the title in
1829, and died seven years after the date of Dickens's description, in
his 74th year.

CHAPTER XIII.

LITERARY LABOUR AT LAUSANNE.

1846.

A Picture completed--Self-judgments--Christmas
Fancies--Second Number of _Dombey_--A Personal
Revelation--First Thought of Public
Readings--Two Tales in Hand--Christmas Book
given up--Goes to Geneva--Disquietudes of
Authorship--Shadows from _Dombey_--A New Social
Experience--Eccentricities--Feminine Smoking
Party--Visit of the Talfourds--Christmas Book
resumed--Lodging his Friends.

SO