t the great dons of science
never could detect,--the true seat of my malady. He says--and he really
reasons out his case ingeniously--that the brain has been working for
the inferior nerves, not limiting itself to cerebral functions, but
actually performing the humbler office of muscular direction, and so
forth; in fact, a field-marshal doing duty for a common soldier! I
almost fancy I can corroborate his view, from internal sensations; I
have a kind of secret instinct that he is right. Poor brain! why it
should do the work of another department, with abundance of occupation
of its own, I cannot make out. But to turn to something else. This is
not a bad refuge just now. They cannot make out where I am, and all the
inquiries at my club are answered by a vague impression that I have gone
back to Germany, which the people at F. O. are aware is not the case.
I have already told you that my suggestion has been negatived in the
Cabinet: it was ill-timed, Allington says; but I ventured to remind his
Lordship that a policy requiring years to develop, and more years still
to push to a profitable conclusion, is not to be reduced to the category
of mere _a propos_ measures. He was vexed, and replied weakly and
angrily. I rejoined, and left him. Next day he sent for me, but my reply
was, "I was leaving town;" and I left. I don't want the Bath, because it
would be "ill-timed;" so that they must give me Vienna, or be satisfied
to see me in the House and the Opposition!

Your tidings of Brekenoff came exactly in the nick. Allington said
pompously that they were sure of him; so I just said, "Ask him if they
would like our sending a Consular Agent to Cracow?" It seems that he was
so flurried by a fancied detection that he made a full acknowledgment
of all. But even at this, Allington takes no alarm. The malady of the
Treasury benches is deafness, with a touch of blindness. What a cumbrous
piece of bungling machinery is this boasted "representative government"
of ours! No promptitude, no secrecy! Everything debated, and discussed,
and discouraged, before begun; every blot-hit for an antagonist to
profit by! Even the characters of our public men exposed, and their
weaknesses displayed to view, so that every state of Europe may see
where to wound us, and through whom! There is no use in the Countess
remaining here any longer; the King never noticed her at the last ball;
she is angry at it, and if she shows her irritation she 'll spoil all.