A soft, pleasant day, rather verifying the maxim about this month. My work today rather harder than usual. I miss my son more and more. There was news from America of which the most significant was a rumor of the abdication of Jefferson Davis. As I received no notice of it I inferred it could not be true. There was however abundant evidence to show that the end of the struggle is near. Walk—and dinner at Mr Edward Romilly. Count de Circourt, Dr and Madame de Mussy, Mrs Peuter, Mrs Kennedy, Mr Spedding, the Editor of Bacon’s works, and Sir Edwin Landseer, the painter. Very lively and pleasant, as dinners generally are at this house. A small reception afterwards. Home early.