she only stayed a moment. He gave a good account
of the Queen. They go to Italy for September and October. When any
one goes there I always feel a mental process of accompanying
them. We have got Mr. Woolner here too. He took it into his head
to wish to make a bust of me, and my wife accepted his offer, at
least by her authority caused me to accept it. He has worked very
quickly and I think with much success, but he bestows immense
labour before closing. He is a poet too, it seems, and generally a
very good companion.... My journey to Balmoral will not be for
some five weeks. I am dreadfully indolent as to any exertion
beyond reading, but I look forward to it with interest.... Indeed
your scruples about writing were misplaced. There is no holiday of
mine to leave unbroken so far as post is concerned, and well would
it be with me, even in the time of an exhaustion which requires to
be felt before it can pass away, if the words of my other letters
were, I will not say like, but more like, yours. However, the
murmur which I thus let escape me is ungrateful. I ought to be
thankful for the remission that I get, but treasury business is
the most odious that I know, and hence it is that one wishes that
the wheel would for a little time cease its drive altogether,
instead of merely lowering it.

_Penmaenmawr, Sept. 20._--It was so kind of you to see our little
fellows on their way through town. I hope they were not
troublesome. Harry is rather oppressed, I think, with the
responsibilities of his captainship--he is the head of seven boys!

We went yesterday to visit the Stanleys, and saw the South Stack
Lighthouse with its grand and savage rocks. They are very
remarkable, one part for masses of sheer precipices descending in
columns to the sea, the other for the extraordinary contortions
which the rocks have undergone from igneous action and huge
compressing forces. Our weather has been and continues cold for
the season, which draws onwards, however, and the gliding days
recall to mind the busy outer world from which we are so well
defended.

_1864_

_Jan. 4._--Often as I have been struck by the Queen's extraordinary
integrity of mind--I know of no better expression--I never felt it
more than on hearing and reading a letter of hers on Saturday (at
the cabinet) about the Dani