azing success. A very fine audience, far better than at
Boston. _Carol_ and _Trial_ on first night, great: still greater,
_Copperfield_ and _Bob Sawyer_ on second. For the tickets of the four
readings of next week there were, at nine o'clock this morning, 3000
people in waiting, and they had begun to assemble in the bitter cold as
early as two o'clock in the morning." To myself he wrote on the 15th,
adding touches to the curious picture. "Dolby has got into trouble about
the manner of issuing the tickets for next week's series. He cannot get
four thousand people into a room holding only two thousand, he cannot
induce people to pay at the ordinary price for themselves instead of
giving thrice as much to speculators, and he is attacked in all
directions . . . I don't much like my hall, for it has two large
balconies far removed from the platform; but no one ever waylays me as I
go into it or come out of it, and it is kept as rigidly quiet as the
Francais at a rehearsal. We have not yet had in it less than L430 per
night, allowing for the depreciated currency! I send L3000 to England by
this packet. From all parts of the States, applications and offers
continually come in. We go to Boston next Saturday for two more
readings, and come back here on Christmas Day for four more. I am not
yet bound to go elsewhere, except three times (each time for two nights)
to Philadelphia; thinking it wisest to keep free for the largest places.
I have had an action brought against me by a man who considered himself
injured (and really may have been) in the matter of his tickets.
Personal service being necessary, I was politely waited on by a marshal
for that purpose; whom I received with the greatest courtesy, apparently
very much to his amazement. The action was handsomely withdrawn next
day, and the plaintiff paid his own costs. . . . Dolby hopes you are
satisfied with the figures so far; the profit each night exceeding the
estimated profit by L130 odd. He is anxious I should also tell you that
he is the most unpopular and best-abused man in America." Next day a
letter to his sister-in-law related an incident too common in American
cities to disconcert any but strangers. He had lodged himself, I should
have said, at the Westminster Hotel in Irving Place. "Last night I was
getting into bed just at 12 o'clock, when Dolby came to my door to
inform me that the house was on fire. I got Scott up directly; told him
first to pack the books and clot