158 Mary Somcrville. 



ceived by Professor Quetelet, whom we had pre- 

 viously known, and who never failed to send me a 

 copy of his valuable memoirs as soon as they were 

 published. I have uniformly met with the greatest 

 kindness from scientific men at home and abroad. If 

 any of them are alive when this record is published, 

 I beg they will accept of my gratitude. Of those 

 that are no more I bear a grateful remembrance. 



The weather was beautiful when we were at 

 Brussels, and in the evening we went to the public 

 garden. It was crowded with people, and very gay. 

 We sat down, and amused ourselves by looking at 

 them as they passed. Sir James was a most agree- 

 able companion, intimate with all the political 

 characters of the day, full of anecdote and historical 

 knowledge. That evening his conversation was so 

 brilliant that we forgot the time, and looking 

 around found that everybody had left the garden, 

 so we thought we might as well return to the hotel ; 

 but on coming to the iron-barred gate we found it 

 locked. Sir James and Somerville begged some of 

 those that were passing to call the keeper of the 

 park to let us out ; but they said it was impossible, 

 that we must wait till morning. A crowd as- 

 sembled laughing and mocking, till at last we got 

 out through the house of one of the keepers of the 

 park. 



