[London—Thursday, 24 May 1860]
Thursday 24th Musical matineé at Lady Harington’s beautiful singing and fashionable audience. We should like much to have stayed but we found it was time to dress for our dinner at the Wards. It did seem so strange to meet the Taylors here again of all places. I sat next him and opposite Mrs Taylor at dinner. He told me much that was interesting about Charles Reade and called his wife to witness that they are excellent friends. The world talks “au contraire” sometimes because of the double parentage of “Masks and Faces.” Mr Ward’s table was a study for the artistic eye. The chandelier was Venetian glass and every spoon of ancient birth & Cellini-like work. Mr Ward talked of Leslie and of his youthful reverence for the great man.
