It reminds me of the remark with which he dismissed the subject of poor old Sir Charles W---- who was staying there.

We had been discussing him, and asked Mr.Hamilton what he thought of him.

'A talking jackass,' was his only reply, in his most chilling tones.
"I fear I am open to the same imputation.
"Very truly yours, "Laura F----.
"I should like to know what you want this for; however, happily, I have put it in a form you can't make much use of." I was much amused at the way in which he treated gossip about himself.
I told him some stories about him that I had picked up.

They related to a certain absent-mindedness which he was supposed to possess.
"I am afraid they are not true," he said first.

"I should welcome any hint of absence of mind in myself as a sign that the abstract could exclude the concrete, which is unfortunately not the case with me." Then, in a moment, he said, "People have no business to tell such stories.