I never met with Madame de Stael, but heard a great deal about her during this journey from Sir James Mackintosh, who was very intimate with her. At that time the men sat longer at table after dinner than they do now; and on one occasion, at a dinner party at Sir James's house, when Lady Mackintosh and the ladies returned to the drawing-room, Madame de Stael, who was exceedingly impatient of women's society, would not deign to enter into conversation with any of the ladies, but walked about the room; then suddenly ringing the bell, she said, "Ceci est insupportable!" and when the servant appeared, she said: "Tell your master to come upstairs directly; they have sat long enough at their wine." FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 9: Afterwards Sir Ralph Abercromby, later Lord Dunfermline, minister first at Florence, then at Turin.] CHAPTER XI. LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM--WRITES "MECHANISM OF THE HEAVENS"--ANECDOTE OF THE ROMAN IMPROVISATRICE--LETTERS FROM SIR JOHN HERSCHEL AND PROFESSOR WHEWELL--ELECTED HON. MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY--NOTICE IN THE ACADEMIE DES SCIENCES, AND LETTER FROM M. BIOT--PENSION--LETTER FROM SIR ROBERT PEEL--BEGINS TO WRITE ON THE CONNECTION OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES--VISIT TO CAMBRIDGE--LETTERS FROM PROFESSOR SEDGWICK AND LAPLACE. [After my mother's return home my father received the following letter from Lord Brougham, which very importantly influenced the further course of my mother's life. It is dated March 27th, 1827:--] LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM TO DR. SOMERVILLE. MY DEAR SIR,