f exercising it.

Here we are again in our Harley Street abode, which, by favor of the
fogs, smokes, and various lovely December complexions of London, looks
but grimly after the evergreen shrubberies and bowers of Bowood, which I
saw the evening before I came away to peculiar advantage, under the
light of an unclouded moon. I left there the goodliest company
conceivable: Rogers, Moore, Macaulay, Charles Austen, Mr. Dundas,
Charles Greville, and Westmacott: so much for the mankind. Then there
was dear old Miss Fox [Lord Holland's sister], whom I love, and Lady
Harriet Baring [afterwards Lady Ashburton], whom I do not love, which
does not prevent her being a very clever woman; and that exceedingly
pretty and intelligent Baroness Louis Rothschild, et cetera. It was a
brilliant party, but they were all so preternaturally witty and wise
that, to tell you the truth, dear Granny, they occasionally gave me the
mind-ache.

As for Macaulay, he is like nothing in the world but Bayle's Dictionary,
continued down to the present time, and purified from all objectionable
matter. Such a Niagara of information did surely never pour from the
lips of mortal man!

I think our pilgrimages are pretty well over for the present, unless the
Duke of Rutland should remember a particularly courteous invitation he
gave us to go to Belvoir some time about Christmas--a summons which we
should very gladly obey, as I suppose there are not many finer places in
England or out of it.

I am sorry you have parted with Forrester [a horse Lady Dacre had named
after a favorite horse of mine]; I liked to fancy my dear old horse's
namesake at the Hoo.

Give my love to Lord Dacre, and my well-beloved B---- and G---- [Lady
Dacre's granddaughters]. I am glad the former is dancing, because I like
it so much myself. I look forward to seeing you all in the spring, and
in the mean time remain, dear Granny,

Yours most affectionately,
FANNY.

[I became subsequently well acquainted with Lord Macaulay, but no
familiarity ever diminished my admiration of his vast stores of
knowledge, or my amazement at his abundant power of communicating
them.

In my visits to the houses of my friends, alike those with whom I
was most and least intimate, I always passed a great deal of my time
in my own room, and never remained in the drawing-room until aft