“It is not thought there will be a war, notwithstanding all the articles in the _Times_ of yesterday and to-day. “Lord Lincoln in his speech at Manchester declaring for the endowment of the Roman Catholics in Ireland, both his friends and foes say, will lose him his seat at the Election. “It is thought Lord Dudley Stuart will stand for Westminster.” “_23rd March 1847._ “I cannot express to you my disappointment at not finding you at Baron Lionel’s[45] on Sunday, having fully understood that you were arrived, or I should not have left home that day. They assure me that you will be here soon--but when? Do tell me that you are better--quite well. Your kind letter would have made me more happy had you given a better account of yourself. With so much kindness of feeling and being so much appreciated you must be suffering to remain so many months in retirement. “I hope you will feel all the affection for our new child that I have for you. _Tancred_ appears to be a greater favourite than _Coningsby_. Is not this a great triumph? The orthodox world have as yet made no hostile sign, but the journals have declared it brilliant. What will the _Times_ say? I have suffered much anxiety.” Until the purchase of Hughenden Manor, which was concluded about this time with Mrs. Disraeli’s money, Bradenham, the house of Disraeli’s father, had been practically their country home. Mrs. Disraeli loved Hughenden; she laid out the grounds herself, and was never tired of making improvements. She made a good many alterations in the interior of the house, and the pretty woodland walks and the terraced gardens are wholly due to her. In 1862 she had twenty navvies working for her, making the terraces. She made an admirable hostess, even if a somewhat despotic one, and her country-house parties were always greatly enjoyed. She took care that the dinner should be gay, even if she sent everybody to bed at 10.30 p.m. Her kind heart and genial manners made her guests blind to her oddities both of dress and talk. In 1852 Disraeli became Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord Derby. Mrs. Disraeli often drove her husband down to the House, but she would never go in and listen to the debates because she had made a vow that she would not do so until Disraeli was Prime Minister, a circumstance that did not happen until 1868. She never went to bed until Disraeli returned from the House of Commons, and kept her own house fully lighted up--it was often 3 a.m. before he got home--so that it might present a welcoming appearance, and always took care that a hot supper was ready for him. He realised so well the feeling that prompted her action that after an important division in the House of Commons[46] he refused an invitation to supper at the Carlton in order to carry the good news to his wife without delay. As she put it, “Dizzy came home to me!”