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Charles Dickens

Madeline House and Graham Storey (eds), The British Academy/The Pilgrim Edition of the Letters of Charles Dickens, Vol. 2: 1840–1841

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pg 121To MISS BURDETT COUTTS, [?24 AUGUST 1840]

MS Morgan Library. Date: CD probably went down to Broadstairs on Wed 26 Aug and stayed the night; for he had in person "engaged a house" there by the morning of Thurs 27th (To Mitton from Broadstairs, that day). No other visit to Broadstairs on a Wednesday is known during the period in which he was writing to Miss Coutts in the third person. If written on 24 Aug, the note is disingenuous; but CD (engaged all Tuesday with Katey's christening celebrations) did not dare postpone his house-hunting in Broadstairs beyond Wednesday, and the beginning of the family holiday seemed the best excuse. Address: Miss Burdett Coutts.

Devonshire Terrace. | Monday Evening

Mr. Charles Dickens presents his Compliments to Miss Coutts and greatly regrets that he cannot have the pleasure of dining with her on Wednesday, as he leaves town on that morning for a few weeks on the Coast.

Mr. Dickens deferred answering Miss Coutts's kind note until tonight in the hope that he might have been enabled to postpone his departure for one day. He finds, however, that he could not do so without great inconvenience to others, and is reluctantly obliged to abide by his previous arrangements.

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