of J.
F.'s domineering ways. Again, the waiter, speaking of Lord Highgate,
said he was a _most harbitrary gent_. This refers to the memorable story
of Forster being summoned by the cabman who said he did so because "he
were such a harbitrary cove." The truth was, Forster knew the distance
to a yard, and would tender the cabman his exact fare and no more. Once,
dining with Forster at a hotel in the country where he had rooms, we lit
our cigars after dinner, on which the waiter remonstrated, saying it was
not allowed. Then I knew the meaning of a "Harbitrary Cove." How the
irate Forster blew him up, roared at him, and drove him out, terrified!
It was, indeed, Dowler threatening the coach proprietor.

Thackeray would of course have known the story; he meant a sort of veiled
allusion which had or had not a reference. We have the key to this sort
of thing in the strange, uncomplimentary reference to Catherine Hayes,
the murderess, but which was at once applied to an interesting and
celebrated Irish singer of the same name. The author must have
anticipated this, and, perhaps, chuckled over the public ignorance, but
the allusion was far-fetched. In the same fashion a dramatist once chose
to dub one of his characters by my own rather unusual name, on which he
protested that he never dreamt of it, that others bore it; still he,
however, was obliged to remove it.

Again, on p. 55 we have this passage: "I was thirsty, having walked from
"Jack Straw's Castle," at Hampstead, where poor Kiteley and I had been
taking a chop." This was written in 1855, only a few years after
Forster's admirable performance of Kiteley with the other amateurs in
"Every man in his humour." "Jack Straw's Castle," too, was a regular
haunt of Forster and Dickens. It is as certain as anything can be that
this allusion was not an accidental one.

III.--Tupman

Tupman's relations to Mr. Pickwick were somewhat peculiar; he was
elderly--about Mr. Pickwick's age--whereas Winkle and Snodgrass were
young fellows under Mr. Pickwick's guardianship. Over them he could
exercise despotic authority; which he did, and secured obedience. It was
difficult to do this in the case of his contemporary, Tupman, who
naturally resented being "sat upon." In the incident of the _Fete_ at
Mrs. Leo Hunter's, and the Brigand's dress--"the two-inch tail," Mr.
Pickwick was rather insulting and injudicious, gibing at and ridiculing
his friend on the exhibition of h