l_ my expenses. No bill
was to be got at the bar, and everything was paid for. But as I would on
no account suffer this to be done, I stoutly and positively refused to
budge an inch until Mr. Q. should have received the bills from the
landlord's own hands, and paid them to the last farthing. Finding it
impossible to move me, they suffered me, most unwillingly, to carry the
point.

"About half-past 2 we arrived here. In half an hour more, we reached
this hotel, where a very splendid suite of rooms was prepared for us;
and where everything is very comfortable, and no doubt (as at Boston)
_enormously_ dear. Just as we sat down to dinner, David Colden made his
appearance; and when he had gone, and we were taking our wine,
Washington Irving came in alone, with open arms. And here he stopped,
until ten o'clock at night." (Through Lord Jeffrey, with whom he was
connected by marriage, and Macready, of whom he was the cordial friend,
we already knew Mr. Colden; and his subsequent visits to Europe led to
many years' intimate intercourse, greatly enjoyed by us both.) "Having
got so far, I shall divide my discourse into four points. First, the
ball. Secondly, some slight specimens of a certain phase of character in
the Americans. Thirdly, international copyright. Fourthly, my life here,
and projects to be carried out while I remain.

"Firstly, the ball. It came off last Monday (vide pamphlet.) 'At a
quarter-past 9, exactly' (I quote the printed order of proceeding), we
were waited upon by 'David Colden, Esquire, and General George Morris;'
habited, the former in full ball costume, the latter in the full dress
uniform of Heaven knows what regiment of militia. The general took Kate,
Colden gave his arm to me, and we proceeded downstairs to a carriage at
the door, which took us to the stage-door of the theatre, greatly to the
disappointment of an enormous crowd who were besetting the main door and
making a most tremendous hullaballoo. The scene on our entrance was very
striking. There were three thousand people present in full dress; from
the roof to the floor, the theatre was decorated magnificently; and the
light, glitter, glare, show, noise, and cheering, baffle my descriptive
powers. We were walked in through the centre of the centre dress-box,
the front whereof was taken out for the occasion; so to the back of the
stage, where the mayor and other dignitaries received us; and we were
then paraded all round the enormous ball-room,