This  was  only  a  fortnight  before  his  death.  On  the
day  of  the  dinner,  Dickens  was  again  suffering  from
his  foot,  and  up  to  the  last  moment  it  was  a  matter  of
doubt  whether  he  would  be  able  to  go.  But  his  native
pluck  came  to  his  aid,  and,  though  in  downright  bodily
agony,  he  went  to  the  house  of  his  host.  He  was,
however,  unable  to  go  upstairs  to  meet  the  company
in  the  drawing-room.,  and  proceeded  straight  to  the
dining-room,  into  which  he  had  to  be  assisted.
In  the  course  of  the  evening  he  was  relieved  of  his
pain  to  a  great  extent,  and  the  charm  of  his  conver-
sation, I  was  afterwards  told,  contributed  in  no  small
measure  to  the  success  of  a  very  pleasant  evening.
The  Prince  got  a  very  agreeable  impression  of  Dickens,
and  Dickens  liked  the  Prince,  who  expressed  at  parting
a  hearty  wish  for  his  speedy  and  complete  recovery.
Towards  the  close  of  his   tenancy  of  the  house  in


A  BRIGHT  CONCERT.  461

Hyde  Park  Place,  he  gave  a  delightful  series  of  enter-
tainments, the  brightest  of  which  was,  I  think,  a
concert  at  which  Charles  Hall6,  Joachim,  Edith  Wynne,
Santley,  Cummings,  and  the  Vocal  Glee  Union  lent
him  their  services.
The  drawing-rooms  were  crowded  by  a  company
which  comprised  all  the  most  prominent  people  in
town — literary,  artistic,  and  fashionable.  Dickens  was
suffering  very  much  that  evening,  and  looked  jaded  and
worn,  but  his  exertions  for  the  entertainment  of  his
guests  never  flagged.  He  was  in  good  spirits,  and
moved  about  amongst  his  guests,  and  took  ladies  up
and  down  to  the  supper-room,  as  if  he  had  never  known
anguish  of  body  in  his  life.
