Although a good deal of _Dombey and Son_ is enacted at Brighton, only one of its famous hotels plays any prominent part in the story, and that is the Bedford. It is first mentioned during a conversation between Major Bagstock and Mr. Dombey, when the former asks "Are you remaining here, Mr. Dombey?" "I generally come down once a week, Major," returned that gentleman; "I stay at the Bedford." "I shall have the honour of calling at the Bedford, sir, if you'll permit me," said the Major, and in fulfilment of his promise he did so. On another occasion, "Mr. Dombey, bringing down Miss Tox and Mrs. Chick to see the children, and finding the Major again at Brighton, invited him to dinner at the Bedford, and complimented Miss Tox highly beforehand on her neighbour and acquaintance." The Major was considered to possess an inexhaustible fund of conversation, and showed as great an appetite in that respect "as in regard of the various dainties on the table, among which he may be said to have wallowed." After dinner, they had a long rubber of whist, before they took a late farewell of the Major, who retired to his own hotel, which, by the way, is not mentioned. On the following day, when Mr. Dombey, Mrs. Chick and Miss Tox were sitting at breakfast, Florence came running in to announce in great excitement the unexpected arrival of Walter and Captain Cuttle, who had come to ask the favour of a loan of three hundred pounds or so of Mr. Dombey to liquidate the financial embarrassment of their old friend Sol Gills. It will be recalled how Captain Cuttle offered as security his silver watch, the ready money he possessed, his silver teaspoons, and sugar-tongs; and "piling them up into a heap that they might look as precious as possible" delivered himself of these words: "Half a loaf's better than no bread, and the same remark holds good with crumbs. There's a few. Annuity of one hundred pound prannum also ready to be made over." The simple and transparent honesty of Captain Cuttle succeeded in the task he set himself, Mr. Dombey arranging the little matter for him. The Bedford can rightly claim the honour of having been the house where this memorable scene in the story of Captain Cuttle took place. In those days it was a prominent and fashionable hotel, and remains so to-day. Dickens frequently stayed at Brighton and very often at the Bedford, where he wrote a good deal of _The Haunted Man_ and portions of other stories. The Princess's Arms, spoken of as being "much resorted to by splendid footmen," which was in Princess's Place, where Miss Tox inhabited a dark little house, cannot be identified. Indeed, search for Princess's Place in old directories of Brighton has entirely failed, and it must be assumed that no such place ever existed there.