Continued heat. Morning quiet at home despatching ordinary business. At two o’clock I attended a meeting of the Trustees of the Peabody fund at the office of the Board of trade. All present but Mr Morgan. The object was simply to prove the account and examine plans for new edifices on another site at Shadwell which has been agreed upon. I remained only an hour, and then walked home to be in season to join Mrs Adams and the children in a visit to Chiswick. We had been invited there in consequences of our expressing a desire to be presented to the Duchess of Sutherland, though her daughter, the Duchess of Argyll. Great was our surprise to find it a day of reception with appearances of a band and refreshments and games in the grounds. Meeting with Mr Charles Howard he presented us to his sister, the Duchess. She looked younger than I expected, and quite411 good looking for a Howard. She was very gracious and marked in her civility, taking me quite round to see the beauties of the place. She has grace of manner and a friendly mode of receiving which is doubtless the secret of the destruction which attached to Stafford House whilst she presided there. There were perhaps thirty or forty persons, most of them young people connected with the family. I looked over the place, which I saw last year when Lord Granville had his féte there. It had a much better appearance in the sunshine, than formerly in clouds. Still the grass was brown and crisp. We remained until nearly seven when the party broke up. Quiet evening at home.