BROAD. STAIRS: 1841. The book that proved zlewit. interval before the book began, he was to be paid £150 each month; but this was to be drawn from his three fourths of the profits, and in no way to interfere with the to be Chuz- monthly payments of £200 while the publication was going on.* Such was the 'project,' excepting only a provision to be mentioned hereafter against the improbable event of the profits being inadequate to the repayment; and my only drawback from the satisfaction of my own share in it, arose from my fear of the use he was likely to make of the leisure it afforded him. C. D. to J. F. Peel and Visions of That this fear was not illfounded appeared at the close of the next note I had from him. There's no news' (13th September) 'since my last. We are going to dine with 'Rogers to-day, and with Lady Essex, who is also here. 'Rogers is much pleased with Lord Ashley, who was offered by Peel a post in the government, but resolutely refused 'to take office unless Peel pledged himself to factory 'improvement. Peel "hadn't made up his mind"; aud 'Lord Ashley was deaf to all other inducements, though 'they must have been very tempting. Much do I honour 'him forit. I am in an exquisitely lazy state, bathing, walking, reading, lying in the sun, doing everything but working. This frame of mind is superinduced by the 'prospect of rest, and the promising arrangements which I owe to you. I am still haunted by visions of America, 'night and day. To miss this opportunity would be a 'sad thing. Kate cries dismally if I mention the subject. 'But, God willing, I think it must be managed somehow!' * ‘M. was quite aghast last night (9th of September) at the brilliancy of 'the C. & H. arrangement: which is worth noting perhaps.' CHAPTER XVIII. EVE OF THE VISIT TO AMERICA. 1841. THE notion of America was in his mind, as we have BROAD. STAIRS: 1841. from Reply to Washington Irving. seen, when he first projected the Clock, and a very hearty letter from Washington Irving about little Nell and the Curiosity Shop, expressing the delight with his writings Greetings and the yearnings to himself which had indeed been pouring America. in upon him for some time from every part of the States, had very strongly revived it. He answered Irving with more than his own warmth: unable to thank him enough for his cordial and generous praise, or to tell him what lasting gratification it had given. 'I wish I could find in your 'welcome letter,' he added, 'some hint of an intention to 'visit England. I should love to go with you, as I have 'gone, God knows how often, into Little-britain, and East'cheap, and Green-arbour-court, and Westminster-abbey. "... It would gladden my heart to compare notes with you ',.. 'about all those delightful places and people that I used to 'walk about and dream of in the day time, when a very 'small and not-over-particularly-taken-care-of boy.' After interchange of these letters the subject was frequently revived; upon his return from Scotland it began to take, BROAD STAIRS: 1841. C. D. to J. F. Resolve to go to America. shape as a thing that somehow or other, at no very distant date, must be; and at last, near the end of a letter filled with many unimpor ant things, the announcement, doubly underlined, came to me. The decision once taken, he was in his usual fever until its difficulties were disposed of. The objections to separation from the children led at first to the notion of taking them, but this was as quickly abandoned; and what remained to be overcome yielded readily to the kind offices of Macready, the offer of whose home to the little ones during the time of absence, though not accepted to the full extent, gave yet the assurance needed to quiet natural apprehensions. All this, including an arrangement for publication of such notes as might occur to him on the journey, took but a few days; and I was reading in my chambers a letter he had written the previous day from Broadstairs, when a note from him reached me, written that morning in London, to tell me he was on his way to take share of my breakfast. He had come overland by Canterbury after posting his first letter; had seen Macready the previous night; and had completed some part of the arrangements. This mode of rapid procedure was characteristic of him at all similar times, and will appear in the few following extracts from his letters. 'Now' (19th September) to astonish you. After 'balancing, considering, and weighing the matter in every 'point of view, I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND (WITH GOD'S 'LEAVE) TO GO TO AMERICA-AND TO START AS SOON 'AFTER CHRISTMAS AS IT WILL BE SAFE TO GO.' Further information was promised immediately; and a request followed, characteristic as any he could have added to his design of travelling so far away, that we should visit once more together the scenes of his boyhood. On the ninth 'of October we leave here. It's a Saturday. If it should 'be fine dry weather, or anything like it, will you meet us 'at Rochester, and stop there two or three days to see all 'the lions in the surrounding country? Think of this. '... If you'll arrange to come, I'll have the carriage down, 'and Topping; and, supposing news from Glasgow don't 'interfere with us, which I fervently hope it will not, I 'will ensure that we have much enjoyment.' BROAD STAIRS: 1841. Wish to scenes of boyhood. revisit Three days later than that which announced his resolve, the subject was resumed. 'I wrote to Chapman 'and Hall asking them what they thought of it, and 'saying I meant to keep a note-book, and publish it for Proposed 'half a guinea or thereabouts, on my return. They the States. 'instantly sent the warmest possible reply, and said they 'had taken it for granted I would go, and had been 'speaking of it only the day before. I have begged them 'to make every enquiry 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 £100; and I think one of these is large book about C. D. to J. F. 'enough to hold us all. A single fare, I think, is forty Arrange ments guineas. I fear I could not be happy if we had the for the 'Atlantic between us; but leaving them in New York journey. 'while I ran off a thousand miles or so, would be quite BROADSTAIRS: 1841. C. D. to J. F. LONDON. C. D. to J. F. 'another thing. If I can arrange all my plans before 'publishing the Clock address, I shall state therein that 1 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 Broad'stairs. 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 Impatience are necessarily startling, and, to a gentleman of my tem'perament, destroy rest, sleep, appetite, and work, unless 'definitely arranged. 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; * See ante, p 102 of suspense. |