“The Leverriers speak English about as well as I do French, and we had a very awkward time of it.  M. Leverrier talked with me a little, and then talked wholly to one of the gentlemen present.  Madame was very chatty.

“Leverrier is very fine-looking; he is fair-haired full-faced, altogether very healthy-looking.  His wife is really handsome, the children beautiful.  I was glad that I could understand when Leverrier said to the children, ‘If you make any more noise you go to bed.’

“While I was there, a woman as old as I rushed in, in bonnet and shawl, and flew around the room, kissed madame, jumped the children about, and shook hands with monsieur; and there was a great amount of screaming and laughing, and all talked at once.  As I could not understand a word, it seemed to me like a theatre.

“I asked monsieur when I could see the observatory, and he answered, ‘Whenever it suits your convenience.’

“December 15.  I went to Leverrier’s again last evening by special invitation.  Four gentlemen and three ladies received me, all standing and bowing without speaking.  Monsieur was, however, more sociable than before, and shrieked out to me in French as though I were deaf.

“The ladies were in blue dresses; a good deal of crinoline, deep flounces, high necks, very short, flowing sleeves, and short undersleeves; the dresses were brocade and the flounces much trimmed, madame’s with white plush.

“The room was cold, of course, having no carpet, and a wood fire in a very small fireplace.

“The gentlemen continued standing or promenading, and taking snuff.

“Except Leverrier, no one of them spoke to me.  The ladies all did, and all spoke French.  The two children were present again—­the little girl five years old played on the piano, and the boy of nine played and sang like a public performer.  He promenaded about the room with his hands in his pockets, like a man.  I think his manners were about equal to -----’s, as occasionally he yelled and was told to be quiet.

“About ten o’clock M. Leverrier asked me to go into the observatory, which connects with the dwelling.  They are building immense additional rooms, and are having a great telescope, twenty-seven feet in focal length, constructed.

“With Leverrier’s bad English and my bad French we talked but little, but he showed me the transit instrument, the mural circle, the computing-room, and the private office.  He put on his cloak and cap, and said, ‘Voila le directeur!’

“One room, he told me, had been Arago’s, and Arago had his bed on one side.  M. Leverrier said, ‘I do not wish to have it for my room.’  He is said to be much opposed to Arago, and to be merciless towards his family.

“He showed me another room, intended for a reception-room, and explained to me that in France one had to make science come into social life, for the government must be reached in order to get money.