ke every
inquiry about the fares, cabins, berths, and times of sailing; and I
shall make a great effort to take Kate _and_ the children. In that case
I shall try to let the house furnished, for six months (for I shall
remain that time in America); and if I succeed, the rent will nearly pay
the expenses out, and home. I have heard of family cabins at L100; and I
think one of these is large enough to hold us all. A single fare, I
think, is forty guineas. I fear I could not be happy if we had the
Atlantic between us; but leaving them in New York while I ran off a
thousand miles or so, would be quite another thing. If I can arrange all
my plans before publishing the _Clock_ address, I shall state therein
that I am going: which will be no unimportant consideration, as
affording the best possible reason for a long delay. How I am to get on
without you for seven or eight months, I cannot, upon my soul, conceive.
I dread to think of breaking up all our old happy habits for so long a
time. The advantages of going, however, appear by steady looking-at so
great, that I have come to persuade myself it is a matter of imperative
necessity. Kate weeps whenever it is spoken of. Washington Irving has
got a nasty low fever. I heard from him a day or two ago."

His next letter was the unexpected arrival which came by hand from
Devonshire Terrace, when I thought him still by the sea: "This is to
give you notice that I am coming to breakfast with you this morning on
my way to Broadstairs. I repeat it, sir,--on my way _to_ Broadstairs.
For, directly I got Macready's note yesterday I went to Canterbury, and
came on by day-coach for the express purpose of talking with him; which
I did between 11 and 12 last night in Clarence Terrace. The American
preliminaries are necessarily startling, and, to a gentleman of my
temperament, destroy rest, sleep, appetite, and work, unless definitely
arranged.[42] Macready has quite decided me in respect of time and so
forth. The instant I have wrung a reluctant consent from Kate, I shall
take our joint passage in the mail-packet for next January. I never
loved my friends so well as now." We had all discountenanced his first
thought of taking the children; and, upon this and other points, the
experience of our friend who had himself traveled over the States was
very valuable. His next letter, two days later from Broadstairs,
informed me of the result of the Macready conference: "Only a word. Kate
is quite recon