My dear Mr. Leighton,—I do not know how to express my thanks to you. I have this moment come home and found your beautiful drawing, and can hardly hold my pen, I am in such a state of delight at possessing such a reminiscence of my favourite picture. You really do not know what pleasure you have given me, and I think it too kind of you to have parted with this to give to me. One thing you may be quite sure of, that the "Eastern King" will receive the greatest homage to the end of days from his devoted admirer and your sincere friend,
Mary Sartoris.[25]
Past Midnight, Tuesday.
Among Leighton's friends was Charles Dickens. The following notes, written in 1863, have turned up in a packet of miscellaneous correspondence:—
Office of "All the Year Round,"
No. 26 Wellington Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Thursday, April 9, 1863.
My dear Leighton,—I owe you many thanks for your kind reminder. It would have given me real pleasure to have profited by it had such profit been possible, but a hasty summons to attend upon a sick friend at a distance so threw me out on Friday and Saturday in obliging me to prepare for a rush across the Channel, that I saw no pictures and had no holiday. I was blown back here only last night, and believe that I shall deliver your message to Mrs. Collins to-day; that is to say, I am going home this afternoon and expect to find her there.
When the summer weather comes on, I shall try to persuade you to come and see us on the top of Falstaff's Hill. A hop country is not to be despised by an artist's eyes.—Faithfully yours always,
Charles Dickens.
Gad's Hill Place,
Higham by Rochester, Kent,
Saturday, July 18, 1863.
My dear Leighton,—Shall I confess it? I never went out to breakfast in my life, except once to Rogers'. But what I might have done under this temptation is a question forestalled by my having engaged to go down to Bulwer Lytton's in Hertfordshire on Monday, to stay a few days.—Cordially yours,