g that it set him up. He was rather quiet at dinner--sat
next Delane--but was very humorous and good, and in spirits, though he
took hardly anything. We parted with references to coming down here"
(Gadshill) "and I never saw him again. Next morning he was taken very
ill when he tried to get up. On the Wednesday and Thursday he was very
bad, but rallied on the Friday, and was quite confident of getting well.
On the Sunday he was very ill again, and on the Monday forenoon died;
'at peace with all the world' he said, and asking to be remembered to
friends. He had become indistinct and insensible, until for but a few
minutes at the end. I knew nothing about it, except that he had been ill
and was better, until, going up by railway yesterday morning, I heard a
man in the carriage, unfolding his newspaper, say to another 'Douglas
Jerrold is dead.' I immediately went up there, and then to Whitefriars
. . . I propose that there shall be a night at a theatre when the actors
(with old Cooke) shall play the _Rent Day_ and _Black-ey'd Susan_;
another night elsewhere, with a lecture from Thackeray; a day reading by
me; a night reading by me; a lecture by Russell; and a subscription
performance of the _Frozen Deep_, as at Tavistock House. I don't mean to
do it beggingly; but merely to announce the whole series, the day after
the funeral, 'In memory of the late Mr. Douglas Jerrold,' or some such
phrase. I have got hold of Arthur Smith as the best man of business I
know, and go to work with him to-morrow morning--inquiries being made in
the meantime as to the likeliest places to be had for these various
purposes. My confident hope is that we shall get close upon two thousand
pounds."

The friendly enterprise was carried to the close with a vigour,
promptitude, and success, that well corresponded with this opening. In
addition to the performances named, there were others in the country
also organized by Dickens, in which he took active personal part; and
the result did not fall short of his expectations. The sum was invested
ultimately for our friend's unmarried daughter, who still receives the
income from myself, the last surviving trustee.

So passed the greater part of the summer,[210] and when the country
performances were over at the end of August I had this intimation. "I
have arranged with Collins that he and I will start next Monday on a
ten or twelve days' expedition to out-of-the-way places, to do (in inns
and coast-corners)