"Yes," she said, "I dined with them all one winter; they were lovely friends." She asked if we would like to see some autograph letters of theirs.

One which seemed specially characteristic of Robert Browning was written on the thinnest of paper in the finest hand, difficult to decipher.

And on the flap of the envelope was a long message from his wife.

Each letter was addressed to "My dearest Hattie," and ended, "Yours most affectionately." There was one most comical impromptu sent to her by Browning, from some country house where there was a house party.

They were greatly grieved at her failure to appear, and each name was twisted into a rhyme at the end of a line.