He, Montrond, and I talked the matter over,
and he said that they should make peace, but of course (I had
said, 'Vous serez modestes, n'est-ce pas?') they should profit by
circumstances; that the Allied Ministers would not be permitted
to interfere, and they should grant such terms as they pleased
without consulting them. This was a lie,[7] for Bandinell had
told me in the morning that the negotiations were going on in
concert with the Ambassadors of the Allies.

[7] It was not a lie though after all, for I don't believe
the Allied Ministers had any concern in the matter.
(December 5th.)--[C.C.G.]

[Page Head: CHATSWORTH.]

November 4th, 1829

Left London the last week in September, and, after visiting at
several country houses, slept at Harborough, and went to Bretby
to breakfast; got there at twelve and found nobody up. In process
of time they came down to breakfast, the party consisting of the
Chancellor and Lady Lyndhurst, the Worcesters, Mrs. Fox, and
Williams, the chaplain, and his wife. I saw very little of the
place, which seems pretty, but not large; a very large unfinished
house. I stayed two or three hours, and went on to Chatsworth,[8]
where I arrived just as they were going to dinner, but was not
expected, and so there was no room at the table. The party was
immense; 40 people sat down to dinner every day, and about 150
servants in the steward's room and servants' hall; there were the
Lievens, Cowpers, Granvilles, Wharncliffes, Granthams, Wiltons,
Stanleys, Belfasts, Newboroughs, Dawsons, Matuscewitz, Clanwilliams,
G. Anson, H. de Ros, &c. Nothing could be more agreeable from the
gaiety of numbers and the entire liberty which prevails; all the
resources of the house--horses, carriages, keepers, &c.--are
placed at the disposal of the guests, and everybody does what
they like best. In the evening they acted charades or danced, and
there was plenty of whist and _ecarte_ high and low. It was in
the middle of that party that news came of the negotiations being
begun between the Russians and Turks,[9] and I received a letter
from Robert Grosvenor, which Madame de Lieven was ready to
devour, and she was very angry that I would not let her see the
whole of it. Our Russians were of course triumphant, and the
Princess's good humour was elevated to rapture by a very pretty
compliment which was paid her in the shape of a charade,
admirably got up as a _piece de circonstance_, and whic