knew. They had been told of my turn for science, and that
I had read the works of La Place. Biot expressed his surprise at my
youth.

* * * * *

One summer Somerville proposed to make a tour in Switzerland, so we set
off, and on arriving at Chantilly we were told that we might see the
chateau upon giving our cards to the doorkeeper. On reading our name,
Mademoiselle de Rohan came to meet us, saying that she had been at
school in England with a sister of Lord Somerville's, and was glad to
see any of the family. She presented us to the Prince de Conde, a
fine-looking old man, who received us very courteously, and sent the
lord-in-waiting to show us the grounds, and especially the stables, the
only part of the castle left in its regal magnificence after the
Revolution. The Prince and the gentleman who accompanied us wore a gaudy
uniform like a livery, which we were told was the Chantilly uniform, and
that at each palace belonging to the Prince there was a different
uniform worn by him and his court.

At Paris we were received with the kindest hospitality by M. and Mme.
Arago. I liked her much, she was so gentle and ladylike; he was tall and
good-looking, with an animated countenance and black eyes. His character
was noble, generous, and singularly energetic; his manners lively and
even gay. He was a man of very general information, and, from his
excitable temperament, he entered as ardently into the politics and
passing events of the time as into science, in which few had more
extensive knowledge. On this account I thought his conversation more
brilliant than that of any of the French savants with whom I was
acquainted. They were living at the Observatory, and M. Arago showed me
all the instruments of that magnificent establishment in the minutest
detail, which was highly interesting at the time, and proved more useful
to me than I was aware of. M. Arago made us acquainted with the Marquis
de la Place, and the Marquise, who was quite an _elegante_. The Marquis
was not tall, but thin, upright, and rather formal. He was distinguished
in his manners, and I thought there was a little of the courtier in
them, perhaps from having been so much at the court of the Emperor
Napoleon, who had the highest regard for him. Though incomparably
superior to Arago in mathematics and astronomical science, he was
inferior to him in general acquirements, so that his conversation was
less varied and popular. We were i