e inheritance of the crown, the
Tuileries would offer a less peaceful couch to them than they find in
the blissful domestic circle at N----.

A long visit from the Duc de T----. I never meet him without being
reminded of the truth of an observation of a French writer, who
says--"_On a vu des gens se passer d'esprit en sachant meler la
politesse avec des manieres nobles et elegantes_." The Duc de T----
passes off perfectly well without _esprit_, the absence of which his
noble manners perfectly conceal; while ----, who is so very clever,
makes one continually conscious of his want of good breeding and _bon
ton_.

Finished reading _Sayings and Doings_, by Mr. Theodore Hook. Every page
teems with wit, humour, or pathos, and reveals a knowledge of the world
under all the various phases of the ever-moving scene that gives a
lively interest to all he writes. This profound acquaintance with human
life, which stamps the impress of truth on every character portrayed by
his graphic pen, has not soured his feelings or produced that cynical
disposition so frequently engendered by it.

Mr. Hook is no misanthrope, and while he exposes the ridiculous with a
rare wit and humour he evinces a natural and warm sympathy with the
good. He is a very original thinker and writer, hits off characters
with a facility and felicity that few authors possess, and makes them
invariably act in accordance with the peculiar characteristics with
which he has endowed them. The _vraisemblance_ is never for a moment
violated, which makes the reader imagine he is perusing a true
narration instead of a fiction.

House-hunting to-day. Went again over the Hotel Monaco, but its
dilapidated state somewhat alarms us. The suite of reception rooms are
magnificent, but the garden into which they open pleases me still more,
for it is vast and umbrageous. The line old hotels in the Faubourg
St.-Germain, and this is one of the finest, give one a good idea of the
splendour of the _noblesse de l'ancien regime_. The number and
spaciousness of the apartments, the richness of the decorations, though
no longer retaining their pristine beauty, and above all, the terraces
and gardens, have a grand effect.

CHAPTER XIX.

House-hunting all the day with Lord B----. Went again over the Hotel
Monaco, and abandoned the project of hiring it. Saw one house newly
built and freshly and beautifully decorated, which I like, but Lord
B---- does not think good enough. It is in