My work was rather light today which was lucky as I was beset by persons coming to see me. Mr and Mrs Blatchford and Mr Evarts who are returning to America by the Steamer tomorrow. Mr Hauteville just out from there. Mr Walker, much elated by the news. Our friends the British persist in thinking it by no means decisive. The tendencies of feeling have never been more sensibly developed than since the announcement of this invasion. It has infected even friendly Americans. Mr Lampson was a full believer that by this time Washington must have been taken. When the other day I exposed the absurdity of it to him, I saw that he was not convinced. This comes from what may be denominated the atmospheric pressure of opinions as generated in England by the London Times.413 It is difficult even for me to put myself completely above it. For though my reasoning is conclusivly establishing the truth, the imagination will conceive of possibilities in war which might bring about the most unexpected results. I took a long and quiet walk. Dined at Madame Schwabe’s. A german woman whose husband made a large fortune at Manchester, on which she now lives handsomely, with her children. The company so far as I knew it consisted of Mr and Mrs Bentson, Sir Francis Goldsmith, Mrs Mobel, Mr and Miss Benham Carter, Mr James, Dr and Madame Gueneau de Mussy. The dinner was rather dull—and we came home before eleven.