402 Appendix I 



une balle qu'il avait ramassee sur le champ de bataille.' This is what 

 the ' Gaulois ' used to tell us. 



' I left Paris last night, looking sorrowfully on the Tuileries and its 

 garden, with the trees brown in it like autumn. The sergent-de-ville and 

 the sentinel stood as usual at the garden gate, the fountain played, the sun 

 shone, and the children and bonnes chattered as though the world were not 

 already crumbling about their ears. Julie is left with orders to bring away 

 the plate and pictures in case of the worst, and I shall take Anne over to 

 England and then come back if the siege is not begun, but one cannot 

 foresee. I dream every night of armies and victories and defeats." 



This was my last visit to Paris before the city was invested by the 

 German armies and the siege began. 



There is not much in my diary worth quoting after this. Having had 

 our carriage wheels new tyred we drove on to Dieppe, arriving there 29th 

 August, in heavy rain, to find the whole place full of refugees. " There 

 are a thousand men drilling here on the beach in blouses with a red cross 

 on their left sleeves. I am struck with the number of able-bodied men 

 one sees everywhere idle, although the whole country has been called to 

 arms. Perhaps there is a want of weapons. Dieppe is full of English 

 who affect sympathy with Prussia. General Trochu has at the eleventh 

 hour ordered all the Germans out of Paris within three days, one would 

 have expected within three hours. The bombardment of Strassburg has 

 done great damage. Kehl has been burnt. A shell burst in a Pensionnat 

 at Strassburg where the young ladies were at their history lesson. Seven 

 were killed. Phalsbourg holds out bravely. 



"30th Aug. — Julie has just arrived from Paris; very amusing about her 

 troubles in getting away. The Hotel Meyerbeer, where I used in former 

 days to lodge, has been sacked. Some Frenchmen came to dine there, and 

 the landlord (a German), seeing them out at elbows, thought fit to remark, 

 'You are too poor to dine here. I have just got an order from the King 

 of Prussia for a dinner of ninety covers for this day week.' The men, 

 upon this, fell on him and wrecked his house. There are said to be 40,000 

 Germans in Paris. Our Proprietaire, M. Desfontaines, has come into No. 

 204 from Noissy, through fear of the invasion. 



"31^ Aug. — The Embassies are to remain at Paris, the Empress Regent 

 having declared her intention of remaining. Princess Mathilde has sent 

 away her valuables, as have probably most others who are rich. The 

 heroism of non-combatants in Paris will be shown mainly in their purses. 

 I go to England to-morrow to see Francis [my elder brother], who starts 

 shortly on his way back to Madeira. 



"2nd Sept. — At Worth Forest Cottage. The ' Daily News ' announces 

 in large capitals, ' Decisive Battle, MacMahon totally routed,' and prints 

 a telegram from William to Augusta : ' May God, who has hitherto be- 

 friended us, continue his protection to our arms.' I felt very sick and 

 angry, the more so because I have found everybody here at home crowing 

 over this final result of the war. Awake half the night, thinking bitter 

 things. There was a great battle before Sedan yesterday. 



" 3rd Sept. — Spent the morning fishing at Cinderbanks. On coming 



