ered, 'I hope so, or Richard
will have him to his breakfast party next Thursday.' But this story, Mr.
Blathwayt, is really absolutely without foundation. I have here,"
continued Mrs. Henniker, "a very interesting book of autographs, which I
have kept for as far back as I can remember, and in which everybody who
came to our house had to write their names," and as she spoke she placed
in my hands a large volume, on every page of which was a photograph and
an autograph. There was Lecky, the historian; and Trench, the late
Archbishop of Dublin; Sir Richard Burton, the traveller; and Owen
Meredith, the poet. There was a portrait of Swinburne when quite a young
man, together with his autograph. "I have known Mr. Swinburne all my
life," remarked Mrs. Henniker. "I used to play croquet with him when I
was quite a little girl, and laugh at him because he used to get in such
a passion when I won the game." There was John Bright's signature, there
was that of Philippe d'Orleans and General Chanzy, and last, but not
least, there was that of Charles Dickens.

[Illustration: THE DRAWING ROOM, DUBLIN CASTLE.]

"My father," explained Mrs. Henniker, "was a very old friend of Dickens,
and, curiously enough, his grandmother was a housekeeper at Crewe Hall,
where my mother was born, and I have often heard her say that the
greatest treat that could be given her and her brother and sister was an
afternoon in the housekeeper's room at Crewe, for Mrs. Dickens was a
splendid story-teller, and used to love to gather the children round her
and tell them fairy stories. And so it was only natural that my mother
should feel a special interest in Charles Dickens, when she came to know
him in after life. I believe that the very last time that he ever dined
out was at my father's house, when a dinner was specially arranged to
enable the Prince of Wales and the King of the Belgians to make his
acquaintance. Even at that time, poor man, he was suffering so much from
rheumatic gout that he had to remain in the dining room until the guests
had assembled, so that he was introduced to the Prince at the dinner
table. I might mention that Dean Stanley wrote to my father, asking him
to be one of those who should place before him the proposal that Charles
Dickens should be buried in the Abbey."

[Illustration: THRONE ROOM, DUBLIN CASTLE.]

Amongst the many interesting letters and papers that Mrs. Henniker
showed me was one from Mr. Gladstone to herself congrat