even ofsomething more than eithe

'A younger son of Salisbury's,' was the reply; 'Robert Cecil,making his maiden speech. If I hadn't been in a hurry Ishould have stopped to listen to him. Unless I am very muchmistaken, he'll make his mark, and we shall hear more ofhim. '
There were others dining there that night whom it isinteresting to recall. The Grotes were there. Mrs. Grote,scarcely less remarkable than her husband; Lord Mahon,another historian (who married a niece of Mr. Ellice's), LordBrougham, and two curious old men both remarkable, if fornothing else, for their great age. One was George Byng,father of the first Lord Strafford, and 'father' of the Houseof Commons; the other Sir Robert Adair, who was Ambassador atConstantinople when Byron was there. Old Mr. Byng looked asaged as he was, and reminded one of Mr. Smallweed doubled upin his porter's chair. Quite different was his compeer. Wewere standing in the recess of the drawing-room window afterdinner when Sir Robert said to me:
'Very shaky, isn't he! Ah! he was my fag at Eton, and I'vegot the best of it still.'
Brougham having been twice in the same Government with Mr.
Ellice, and being devoted to young Mrs. Edward Ellice, hischarming daughter-in-law, was a constant visitor at 18Arlington Street. Mrs. Ellice often told me of hispeculiarities, which must evidently have been known toothers. Walter Bagehot, speaking of him, says :
'Singular stories of eccentricity and excitement, r of these, darken these latteryears.'
What Mrs. Ellice told me was, that she had to keep a sharpwatch on Lord Brougham if he sat near her writing-table whilehe talked to her; for if there was any pretty little knick-knack within his reach he would, if her head were turned,slip it into his pocket. The truth is perhaps better thanthe dark hint, for certainly we all laughed at it as nothingbut eccentricity.
But the man who interested me most (for though when in theNavy I had heard a hundred legends of his exploits, I hadnever seen him before) was Lord Dundonald. Mr. Ellicepresented me to him, and the old hero asked why I had leftthe Navy.
'The finest service in the world; and likely, begad, to havesomething to do before long.'
This was only a year before the Crimean war. With his strongrough features and tousled mane, he looked like a grey lion.
One expected to see him pick his teeth with a pocketboarding-pike .