hard frost and a
dense fog. We came into this house last Thursday. It has a pretty
drawing-room, approached through four most extraordinary chambers. It is
the most ridiculous and preposterous house in the world, I should think.
It belongs to a Marquis Castellane, but was fitted (so Paul Pry Poole
said, who dined here yesterday) by ---- in a fit of temporary insanity,
I have no doubt. The dining-room is mere midsummer madness, and is
designed to represent a bosky grove.

At this present writing, snow is falling in the street, and the weather
is very cold, but not so cold as it was yesterday. I dined with Lord
Normanby on Sunday last. Everything seems to be queer and uncomfortable
in the diplomatic way, and he is rather bothered and worried, to my
thinking. I found young Sheridan (Mrs. Norton's brother) the attache. I
know him very well, and he is a good man for my sight-seeing purposes.
There are to be no theatricals unless the times should so adjust
themselves as to admit of their being French, to which the Markis seems
to incline, as a bit of conciliation and a popular move.

Lumley, of Italian opera notoriety, also dined here yesterday, and seems
hugely afeard of the opposition opera at Covent Garden, who have already
spirited away Grisi and Mario, which he affects to consider a great
comfort and relief. I gave him some uncompromising information on the
subject of his pit, and told him that if he didn't conciliate the middle
classes, he might depend on being damaged, very decidedly. The danger of
the Covent Garden enterprise seems to me to be that they are going in
for ballet too, and I really don't think the house is large enough to
repay the double expense.

Forster writes me that Mac has come out with tremendous vigour in the
Christmas Book, and took off his coat at it with a burst of such
alarming energy that he has done four subjects! Stanfield has done
three. Keeleys are making that "change"[30] I was so hot upon at
Lausanne, and seem ready to spend money with bold hearts, but the cast
(as far as I know it, at present) would appear to be black despair and
moody madness. J. W. Leigh Murray, from the Princess's, is to be the
Alfred, and Forster says there is a Mrs. Gordon at Bolton's who must be
got for Grace. I am horribly afraid ---- will do one of the lawyers, and
there seems to be nobody but ---- for Marion. I shall run over and carry
consternation into the establishment, as soon as I have done the number.