s such odd bits of sentimental morality, that somehow
or other don't match with each other, or with anything else in creation,
that it disgusts me, and I am so disagreeable and so conscious of it,
and she is so conscious that I am conscious of it, that, poor things! it
is quite piteous for both of us.

You ask me the name of the political economist I met at Burnham. William
Nassau Senior, a very clever man, a great talker, good upon all
subjects, but best upon all those on which I am even below my average
depth of ignorance, public affairs, questions of government, the science
of political economy, and all its kindred knowledges. The rest of our
party were only Rogers and myself, our host and hostess (Mr. and Mrs.
Grote), and a brother of the latter, who has been living many years in
Sweden, has a charming countenance, a delightful voice, sings Swedish
ballads exquisitely, worships Jenny Lind, and knows Frederica Bremer
intimately. He added an element of gentleness and softness to the
material furnished by our cast-iron "man of facts" and our acrid poet,
that was very agreeable. In speaking of Arnold, I was ineffably amused
at hearing Mrs. Grote characterize him as a "_very weak man_," which
struck me as very funny. _The Esprit Forte_, however, I take it, merely
referred to his belief in the immortality of the soul, the existence of
a God, and a few other similar "superstitions." They seemed all to agree
that he was likely to "turn out" _only_ such men as Lord Sandon and Lord
Ashley. [The training of Arnold, acting upon a noble mind inherited from
a noble-minded mother, produced the illustrious man whom all Protestant
Christendom has lately joined to mourn, Dean Stanley, of whom, however,
no mention was made in the above discussion.] You, who know the
political bias of these men, will be better able to judge than I am, how
far this was a compliment to Arnold's intellect; to his moral influence,
I suppose, the character of "only such" pupils would bear high
testimony.

My father reads to-morrow at Highgate, and, I believe, twice again there
in the course of next week. Beyond that, I think he has no immediate
plans for reading, and indeed his plans seem altogether to me in the
most undecided state.

I found letters here from my sister and E----, both of them urging me to
join them in Rome; these I read to my father, and I am thankful to say
that he seemed to entertain the idea of my doing so, and even hinted at
the pos