266 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1858. member Mr. Dickens's active interest in the scene, and I 

 heard the proposal to make the dead cattle into sausage 

 meat, which probably was carried into effect ( unbeknown,' 

 for several of the carcasses were bought by butchers. I 

 was strictly enjoined not to let f sassingers ' come into the 

 house. 



1859. Our three youngest daughters had been born in 

 Camden Street, and there were many associations with 

 the house which were, with the sad exception of our 

 eldest child's death, pleasant to my husband and myself. 

 But we wanted a more roomy house, and it was thought 

 that my severe illnesses might be averted by a better 

 air. 



After we were settled at No. 41 Chalcot Villas, Adelaide 

 Road (at that time nearly surrounded by fields, and 

 fully two miles from the College), he left the house 

 always before eight o'clock in the morning, and met the 

 omnibus in the Hampstead Road, which took him to 

 Grafton Street a short time before the lecture began. He 

 returned to dinner at five o'clock ; and as he only gave 

 himself about half an hour's rest after dinner before going 

 to his library, where he wrote or read for four or five hours, 



gentleman who, being husband and wife, seldom agreed about anything, 

 though they were in one mind in admiration of the novel,' entreating 

 the author to adjudicate the question. We received the following 

 reply : 



' 1 Devonshire Terrace, York Gate, April 12, 1840. 



' Mr. Charles Dickens sends his compliments both to the gentle- 

 man and the lady who do him the honour to differ upon an illustrated 

 point in Nicholas Nickleby, and begs to inform them that the lady sitting 

 down is intended for Mrs. Kenwigs, and the lady standing up for the 

 designing Miss Petowker. But Mr. Dickens begs the gentleman and 

 lady unknown to take especial notice that neither of their portraitures 

 is quite correct, Mrs. Kenwigs being constitutionally slim and 

 delicate and of a slight figure (quite unimpaired by her frequent 

 confinements), and Miss Petowker a young female of some personal 

 attractions, set off by various stage effects and professional captiva- 

 tions.' 



This was according to my husband's impression, so he was trium- 

 phant and I crestfallen. 



