ss never spoke,
but stood 'pale comme une statue,' and when at length it was all
over, and the Emperor returned, she threw herself on her knees
and began to pray.

December 29th, 1829 {p.260}

At Osterley;[3] Lady Euston, Mrs. Sheridan and her son; a very
fine house, which is thrown away, as they hardly ever live there.
They spent L200,000 in building Middleton, which is the worst
place in England, and now they regret it, but Lord Jersey hates
Osterley and likes Middleton. This place belonged to Sir Thomas
Gresham, but the present house is modern. It was here that Sir
Thomas Gresham feasted Queen Elizabeth, and pulled down a wall in
the night which she had found fault with, so that in the morning
she found it was gone.

[3] [Lord Jersey's seat near Hanwell, Middlesex.]

1830.

[Page Head: WELLINGTON AS A MINISTER]

January 2nd, 1830 {p.261}

At Roehampton; William Howard, Baring Wall, and Lady Pembroke's
son;[4] the best sort of youth I have seen for a long while, and
he will have L12,000 a year, besides what his mother may leave
him. Vesey Fitzgerald is so ill that it is doubtful if he will
recover, and, at all events, almost impossible that he should
remain in office. It will be very difficult for the Duke to fill
his place. There is not a man in office now who is fit for it,
and where is he to look for anyone else? Yet I think almost
anybody would take it; for although the late prosecutions are
blamed, and the foreign policy is thought by most people to have
been very miserable, there is an extensive disposition to support
the Duke and to keep him at the head of affairs. Huskisson is the
man whose knowledge and capacity would be of the greatest service
just now, but the Duke will not like to apply to him in a moment
of distress, because he would probably take advantage of that
distress to make better terms for himself; at the same time, I
should not be surprised if the Duke were to invite him to return
to the Cabinet, and that he accepted the Chancellorship of the
Exchequer or one of the Secretaryships without any conditions.
Vesey will be a great loss, for he is clever and ready in debate,
and by great diligence and application, and the powerful
assistance of Hume and Stephen, he has made considerable progress
in the science of trade and commerce.

[4] [Sidney Herbert, afterwards Lord Herbert of Lea, whose
life and character did not belie the pro