ed her talents, did not care a pin for her
(the Queen's) opinion, used to care only for that of her
father....

_Aug. 24._--To-day I had a long talk. Nothing can be better than
her humour. She is going to Fort William on the 8th. I leave on
Saturday, but if I make my Highland walk it cannot be till Monday,
and all next week will probably be consumed in getting me home.

_Aug. 27._--I enclose a copy of my intimation to the Queen [the
engagement of his eldest daughter], which has drawn forth _in a
few minutes_ the accompanying most charming letter from her. I
think the original of this should be given to Agnes herself, as
she will think it a great treasure; we keeping a copy. Is it not a
little odd on our part, more than his, that (at least so far as I
am concerned) we have allowed this great Aye to be said, without a
single word on the subject of the means of support forthcoming? It
is indeed a proceeding worthy of the times of the Acts of the
Apostles! You perhaps know a little more than I do. _Your_ family
were not very worldly minded people, but you will remember that
before our engagement, Stephen was spirited up, most properly, to
put a question to me about means. Yesterday I was not so much
struck at hearing nothing on the subject of any sublunary
particular; but lo! again your letter of to-day arrives with all
about the charms of the orphanage, but not a syllable on beef and
mutton, bread and butter, which after all cannot be altogether
dispensed with.

Of this visit Lord Granville wrote to him (Sept. 20): "The Queen told me
last night that she had never known you so remarkably agreeable." The
journey closed with a rather marked proof of bodily soundness in a man
nearly through his sixty-fourth year, thus recorded in his diary:--

_Aug. 25._--[At Balmoral]. Walked thirteen miles, quite fresh.
26.--Walked 8-1/2 miles in 2 h. 10 m. _Sept. 1._--Off at 9.15 [from
Invercauld] to Castleton and Derry Lodge, driving. From the Lodge
at 11.15, thirty-three miles to Kingussie on foot. Half an hour
for luncheon, 1/4 hour waiting for the ponies (the road so rough
on the hill); touched a carriageable road at 5, the top at 3. Very
grand hill views, floods of rain on Speyside. Good hotel at
Kingussie, but sorely disturbed by rats.

"Think," he wrote to his daughter Mary from Naworth, "of my wa