I have had some undefined idea that you were to let me know if you were coming to the archaeologs at Rochester. (I myself am keeping out of their way, as having had enough of crowding and speech-making in London.) Will you tell me where you are, whether you are in this neighbourhood or out of it, whether you will come here on Saturday and stay till Monday or till Tuesday morning? If you will come, I _know_ I can give you the heartiest welcome in Kent, and I _think_ I can give you the best wine in this part of it. Send me a word in reply. I will fetch you from anywhere, at any indicated time. We have very pretty places in the neighbourhood, and are not uncomfortable people (I believe) to stay with. Faithfully yours ever. [Sidenote: Mr. Charles Reade.] OFFICE OF "ALL THE YEAR ROUND," _Wednesday, Sept. 30th, 1863._ MY DEAR READE, I _must_ write you one line to say how interested I am in your story, and to congratulate you upon its admirable art and its surprising grace and vigour. And to hint my hope, at the same time, that you will be able to find leisure for a little dash for the Christmas number. It would be a really great and true pleasure to me if you could. Faithfully yours always. [Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.] GAD'S HILL PLACE, HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT, _Wednesday, Oct. 7th, 1863._ MY DEAREST GEORGY, You will see by to-day's _Times_ that it _was_ an earthquake that shook me, and that my watch showed exactly the same time as the man's who writes from Blackheath so near us--twenty minutes past three. It is a great satisfaction to me to make it out so precisely; I wish you would enquire whether the servants felt it. I thought it was the voice of the cook that answered me, but that was nearly half an hour later. I am strongly inclined to think that there is a peculiar susceptibility in iron--at all events in our part of the country--to the shock, as though there were something magnetic in it. For, whereas my long iron bedstead was so violently shaken, I certainly heard nothing rattle in the room. I will write about my return as soon as I get on with the still unbegun "Uncommercial." Ever affectionately. [Sidenote: Mr. W. H. Wills.] GAD'S HILL, _Sunday, Dec. 20th, 1863._ MY DEAR WILLS, I am clear that you took my cold. Why didn't you do the thing completely, and take it away from me? for it hangs by me still.