C. D.--At Broadstairs--A Chinese Junk--What it
was like--Perplexing Questions--A Type of
Finality--A Contrast--Dickens's View of
Temperance Agitation--Cruikshank's _Bottle_:
and _Drunkard's Children_--Realities of
Cruikshank's Pencil--Dickens on Hogarth--Exit
of Gin-lane--Wisdom of the Great
Painter--Originality of Leech--Superiority of
his Method--Excuses for the Rising
Generation--What Leech will be remembered
for--Pony-chaise Accident--Fortunate
Escape--Strenuous Idleness--Hint for Mr.
Taine--At Brighton--A Name for his New Book--At
Broadstairs--Summoned as Special Juror--A Male
Mrs. Gamp and Mrs. Harris--At Bonchurch--Rev.
James White--First Impressions of the
Undercliff--Talfourd made a Judge--Touching
Letter from Jeffrey--The Comedian
Regnier--Progress in Writing--A Startling
Revelation--Effects of Bonchurch Climate--Mr.
Browne's Sketch for Micawber--Accident to
Leech--Its Consequences--At Broadstairs--A
_Copperfield_ Banquet--Thoughts of a New Book.

THE portion of Dickens's life over which his adventures of strolling
extended was in other respects not without interest; and this chapter
will deal with some of his seaside holidays before I pass to the
publication in 1848 of the story of _The Haunted Man_, and to the
establishment in 1850 of the Periodical which had been in his thoughts
for half a dozen years before, and has had foreshadowings nearly as
frequent in my pages.

Among the incidents of 1848 before the holiday season came, were the
dethronement of Louis Philippe, and birth of the second French
republic: on which I ventured to predict that a Gore-house friend of
ours, and _his_ friend, would in three days be on the scene of action.
The three days passed, and I had this letter. "Mardi, Fevrier 29, 1848.
MON CHER. Vous etes homme de la plus grande penetration! Ah, mon Dieu,
que vous etes absolument magnifique! Vous prevoyez presque toutes les
choses qui vont arriver; et aux choses qui viennent d'arriver vous etes
merveilleusement au-fait. Ah, cher enfant, quelle idee sublime vous vous
aviez a la tete quand vous prevites si clairement que M. le Comte Alfred
d'Orsay se rendrait au pays de sa naissance! Quel magicien! Mais--c'est
tout egal, mais--il n'est pas parti. Il reste a Gore-house, ou,
avant-hier, il y avait un grand di