And you are not very strong, even now?  That grieves me.  But here is the sun to make us all strong.  For my part, my chest has not been particularly wrong this winter, nor my cough too troublesome.  But the weight of the whole year heavy with various kinds of trouble, added to a trying winter, seems to have stamped out of me the vital fluid, and I am physically low, to a degree which makes me glad of renewed opportunities of getting the air; and I mean to do little but drive out for some time.  It does not answer to be mastered so.  For months I have done nothing but dream and read French and German romances; and the result (of learning a good deal of German) isn’t the most useful thing in the world one can attain to.  Then, of course, I teach Peni for an hour or so.  He reads German, French, and, of course, Italian, and plays on the piano remarkably well, for which Robert deserves the chief credit.  A very gentle, sweet child he is; sweet to look at and listen to; affectionate and good to live with, a real ‘treasure’ so far.  His passion is music; and as we are afraid of wearing his brain, we let him give most of his study-time to the piano.

So you want me, you expect me, I suppose, to approve of the miserable, undignified, unconscientious doings in England on the conspiracy question?[58] No, indeed.  I would rather we had lost ten battles than stultified ourselves in the House of Commons with Brummagem brag and Derby intrigues before the eyes of Europe and America.  It seems to me utterly pitiful.  I hold that the most susceptible of nations should not reasonably have been irritated by the Walewski despatch, which was absolutely true in its statement of facts.  Ah, dearest friend, how true I know better than you do; for I know of knowledge how this doctrine of assassination is held by chief refugees and communicated to their disciples in England—­yes, to noble hearts, and to English hands still innocent—­my very soul has bled over these things.  With my own ears I have heard them justified.  For nights I have been disturbed in my sleep with the thoughts of them.  In the name of liberty, which I love, and of the Democracy, which I honour, I protest against them.  And if such things can be put down, I hold they should be put down; and that the Conspiracy Bill is the smallest and lightest step that can be taken towards the putting down.  For the rest, the great Derby intrigue, as shown in its acts, and as resulting in its State papers, nothing in history, it seems to me, was ever so small and mean.

What I think of him?  Why, I think he is the only great man of his age, speaking of public men.  I think ‘Napoleon III devant le peuple anglais’ a magnificent State paper.  I confess to you it drew the tears to my eyes as I read it.  So grand, so calm, so simply true!

And now with regard to Switzerland.  You must remember that there is such a thing as an international law, and that only last year the Swiss appealed in virtue of it to France about the Neufchatel refugees, and that France received and acted on that appeal.  The very translation of the French despatch adds to the injustice done to it in England; because ‘insister’ does not mean to ‘insist upon a thing being done,’ but to ‘urge it upon one’s attention.’