position, and felt a childish wonder in having arrived at it; nor did it
seem real to him, after all. . . . .

We again saw Disraeli, who has risen from the people by modes perhaps
somewhat like those of Mr. ------. He came and stood near our table,
looking at the bill of fare, and then sat down on the opposite side of
the room with another gentleman, and ate his dinner. The story of his
marriage does him much credit; and indeed I am inclined to like Disraeli,
as a man who has made his own place good among a hostile aristocracy, and
leads instead of following them.

From the House of Commons we went to Albert Smith's exhibition, or
lecture, of the ascent of Mont Blanc, to which Bennoch had orders. It
was very amusing, and in some degree instructive. We remained in the
saloon at the conclusion of the lecture; and when the audience had
dispersed, Mr. Albert Smith made his appearance. . . . .

Nothing of moment happened the next day, at least, not till two o'clock,
when I went with Mr. Bowman to Birch's eating-house (it is not Birch's
now, but this was the name of the original founder, who became an
alderman, and has long been dead) for a basin of turtle-soup. It was
very rich, very good, better than we had at the Lord Mayor's, and the
best I ever ate.

In the evening, Mr. J. B. Davis, formerly our Secretary of Legation,
called to take us to dine at Mr. ------'s in Camden Town. Mr. ------
calls his residence Vermont House; but it hardly has a claim to any
separate title, being one of the centre houses of a block. I forget
whether I mentioned his calling on me. He is a Vermonter, a graduate of
Yale College, who has been here several years, and has established a sort