The tone of the observer yesterday seemed to indicate a disposition to call me very seriously to account for my offences. This is sometimes official and sometimes not. I rather incline to think that in this case it was not. This naming appears in the money article of the Times a statement evidently semiofficial to the effect that matters had been smoothed over; that I had acknowledged myself as having acted with under haste and from imperfect information, and then ending with high compliments to myself. Here is one of the tricks of official life in England. The city invitation must be pacified by intimating that I had made some concessions. Their fears of a breach quieted by answering that the difficulty was settled. My pride must be soothed by a personal compliment, and the pride of the notion must be flattered in order that the ministry should not be weakened. In point of fact the position taken by Lord Russell was false and untenable. I had to wait only until that was perceived by Lord Palmerston, and then they get out the best way they can.353 The announcement is not so authoritative that I am called to deny the truth of the allegations respecting myself—and yet it will serve to make people in general believe that the fault lay with me. I shall pass it over for the present, but Lord Russell has not the less to account for permitting a misrepresentation to go out to the world after he has admitted it to be such. I was busy with the contents of my bag which were large and rather disturbing. A letter came likewise from Mr Dayton reporting to me the substance of a conversation with M Drouyan de l’Huys in which the latter took great exception to my letter as manifesting a personal ill will to France. This bodes no good to us it would be difficult by any fair interpretation of it to twist such an intent out of it. I wrote a reply to Mr Dayton communicating a message to the minister. I fancy the secret is to be found not in that letter so much as in my earlier published despatches about Mexico. Other visits of different kinds absorbed pretty much all day. I got letters from Charles giving an account of an offer made to him of an appointment on General Griffin’s staff and of his refusing it because he would not leave his hard service in his regiment. I am proud of him, and yet I feel as if he was throwing himself away in this species of subaltern life. He is fit for better things. Evening, read a few chapters in the second Volume of Kinglake. His English self sufficiency is intolerable.