The continuity of dry weather is rapidly spoiling the verdure of the grass. I noticed it much at Kew yesterday, as well as in the Regents park in my daily walks. The regular labor of the week was not so great today. The topics of discussion have suddenly dried up under the effect of more favorable accounts from home, as to the progress of our arms on the Mississippi, and the removal of mutual causes of offence. But personally, Lord Russell has not moved yet in the way of correction of the misrepresentation of me that appears in his published speech. I told the circumstances to Mr McCullagh Torrens who came to see me, and he expressed great disgust, and intimated that unless I forced him, his Lordship would never do it. Although my observation of him has led me to regard him as from timidity not perfectly ingenerous in his relations with me, yet I believe him infinitely above Palmerston both in honesty and good feeling. I shall await the result with patience, but not without an eye to the proper opportunity to place him in a position where he shall not escape,361 should he show himself scuivry enough to attempt to shew preparation. We had to dine with us a number of Americans. Dr Sturtevant, Mr Bushnell, Mr Lathers, Mr Lamed and Mr Towle. Rather an odd mixture, but they did very well. Mr Evarts came in after dinner, and they remained apparently very well pleased until nearly eleven o’clock. The ladies and I then went to a ball at Lady Chelmsford’s. The house crowded with people of whom I knew scarcely a soul. The rooms so narrow and inconvenient as to make dancing almost impracticable. Of the persons present the young girls were far he most in number. The mother’s in proportion. About forty or fifty young men and a very few old ones. This is much the same as it is in Boston or New York. I go now for the sake of my Wife and Mary, but it is a great trial to me. My own disposition is so little towards much society of any kind, and I make such very slow progress in acquaintance that the obstacles always appear insurmountable. We returned home at about one o’clock