Last night I received your letter of the 21st with the
sleeve-links, which are very pretty and give me much
pleasure. It was a very nice idea of yours, and they
will be a delightful souvenir. You ought to have
received the fifty thalers by now ; I wonder what you
will buy. . •.
People imagine that we are quite happy here, and
instead of appreciating all the fatigue we are under-
going, they expect us to be grateful I It is a curious
world, and, as Bismarck says : — ^* One is often tempted
to turn republican." . . •



Vbrsaillbs, December 27, 1870

I received your short note of the 24th this morning.
I think you must have been tired and irritated and in a
bad temper when you wrote it — I was very sorry about
it I hope that the weather has got fine again and that
your good humour has returned.
I am very worried that this war is lasting so long,
but I was pleased this morning when I heard that our
cannons had commenced firing at one point. There
were eighteen French guns at Mont Avron which were



THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS 229

firing to their hearts' content when all of a sudden they
received our reply this morning from sixty or seventy
heavy cannons. I should have liked to have witnessed
their surprise I Unfortunately it is just on the other
side of- Paris, to the north of Fontenay-sous-Bois,
seven leagues from here, so they say, so that it is not
possible to go there. I hope we shall now begin at
other points also, and perhaps a little nearer here.
If successful, the end of their resistance must be
hurried on.
