A nobly patriotic Ministry came before the world with a flourish
of trumpets, and declared that England must fight Russia in defence of
public law, freedom, and other holy things. But the wicked diarist had
watched the secret proceedings of his dear friends; and he informs us
that those beloved intimates were all sound asleep when a single
Minister decided on the movement which cost us forty thousand men and
one hundred millions of treasure. That close sly being used--to worm out
the secrets of men's innermost hearts; and his impassive mask never
showed a sign of emotion. To illustrate his mode of extracting the
information of which he made such terrible use, I may tell one trivial
anecdote which has never before been made public. When Greville was very
old, he went to see a spiritualistic "medium" who was attracting
fashionable London. The charlatan looked at the gray worn old man and
thought himself safe; four other visitors attended the _seance_, but the
"medium" bestowed all his attention on Greville. With much emotion he
cried, "There is an aged lady behind your chair!" Greville remarked
sweetly, "How interesting!" "She is very, very like you!" "Who can it
be?" murmured Greville. "She lifts her hands to bless you.
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