Lord Granville made a humorous, and no doubt unnecessarily modest
speech in French to the Belgian Volunteers at Miss Bur- dett Coutts' fete yesterday week. " Elle me charge," said Lord Granville modestly, in reference to Miss Burdett Coutts, " de vous exprimer, en son nom, dana une languo qui u'est pas la mienne, par quelques paroles mal prononcees, mais tres-senties, le plaisir qu'elle eprouve de vous recevoir chez elle." Miss Coutts, Lord Granville went on to say, with some humour, had shown other qualities besides philanthropy and hospitality in her banquet of that day, qualities which we sometimes " wrongfully refuse to women." In spite of our misty skies, " Malgre notre ciel brumenx, malgre nos almanachs, malgre nos superstitions metdorologiques, elle a ose vous proposer d'avance une fête an grand air. En ccci elle a montre un courage et un talent pour nous defendre contra l'ennemi, qui meriteraient Is decoration militaire de Leopold, ou is Croix Victoria de son propre pays." Miss Burdett Coutts must have been gratified. Her "courage and talent for defending her guests from the enemy " was rewarded by the best of all decora- tions—success. Her preparations to defy the weather,—like the proverbial umbrella,—conciliated the weather, which was beau- tiful, and the fête itself a grand success.
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