John Forster, in the _Life_, speaks of Mr. Hulkes as being "one of the two nearest country neighbours with whom the [Dickens] family had become very intimate," and mentions that both Mr. and Mrs. Hulkes were present at the wedding of the novelist's second daughter, Kate, with Mr. Charles Alston Collins. Mr. Hulkes spoke of the pleasant parties at Gad's Hill Place, at which he met Mr. Forster, Mr. Wilkie Collins, Mr. Percy Fitzgerald, Mr. Marcus Stone, Mr. H. F. Chorley, and many others; and observed that, on the occasion of charades and private theatricals there, Charles Dickens was always in fine form. He showed us an original manuscript programme (of which we were allowed to take a copy), written on half-a-sheet of foolscap; and from the fact that "_Gads Hill Gazette_ Printing Office" appears in the corner it would seem that it was printed on the occasion for the guests. It is as follows:-- _December 31st, 1863._ "A night's exploit on Gad's Hill."--_Shakespeare._ =Her Majesty's Servants= will have the honour of presenting Three Charades!!! Each Charade is a word of two syllables, arranged in three Scenes. The first scene is the first syllable; the second is the second syllable; the third scene is the entire word. (_At the end of each Charade the audience is respectfully invited to name the word._) =Charade 1!= Scene I.--The awful end of the Profligate Sailor. Scene II.--On the way to foreign parts. Scene III.--Miss Belinda Jane and the faithful policeman (Division Q). =Charade 2!!= Scene I.--Archery at Castle Doodle. Scene II.--Fra Diavolo a Dread Reality. Scene III.--The Choice of a too Lowly Youth. =Charade 3!!!= Scene I.--The Pathetic History of the Poor Little Sweep. Scene II.--Mussulman Barbarity to Christians. Scene III.--Merry England. _Gad's Hill Gazette_ Printing Office. The various parts were taken by Dickens and his family, and the entire word of the last Charade is supposed to be "May Day." In connection with charades, Mr. Hulkes alluded to Dickens's remarkable facility for "guessing a subject fixed on when he was out of the room, in half a dozen questions;" and related the story of how at the young people's game of "Yes and No," he found out the proper answer to a random question fixed upon by Mr. Charles Collins, one of the company, in his absence, which was, "The top-boot of the left leg of the head post-boy at Newman's Yard, London." The squire sometimes took a stroll with his neighbour, but observed "he was too fast a walker for me--I couldn't keep up with him!"