At dessert the Minister spoke of the large quantity he had eaten. “But then it is my only meal. It is true I take breakfast, but then it is merely a cup of tea without milk and two eggs,--and after that nothing till evening. Then I over-eat myself, like a boa-constrictor, and can’t sleep. Even as a child, and ever since that time, I have always gone to bed late, never before midnight. I usually fall asleep quickly, but wake soon again and find that it is not more than half-past 1 o’clock. All sorts of things then come into my head, particularly if I have been unfairly treated,--and that must be all thought out. I afterwards write letters, and even despatches, but of course without getting up--simply in my head. Formerly, for some time after my appointment as Minister, I used to get up and actually write them down. When I read them over next morning however they were worth nothing,--mere platitudes, confused trivial stuff such as might have appeared in the _Vossische Zeitung_, or might have been composed by his Serene Highness of Weimar. I do not want to, I should prefer to sleep. But the thinking and planning goes on. At the first glimmer of dawn I fall off again, and then sleep till 10 o’clock or even later.” _Wednesday, November 2nd._--On returning from a long walk at about 4.30 P.M. I heard that Thiers had remained with the Chief until a few minutes before, and looked rather pleased on taking his leave. During dinner the Minister observed, referring to his visitor of to-day: “He is a clever and amiable man, bright and witty, but with scarcely a trace of the diplomatist--too sentimental for that trade.” “He is unquestionably a finer nature than Favre. But he is no good as a negotiator (_Unterhändler_)--not even as a horsedealer (_Pferdehändler_).” “He is too easily bluffed, betrays his feelings, and allows himself to be pumped. Thus I have ascertained all sorts of things from him, amongst others that they have only full rations in Paris for three or four weeks.” With respect to our attitude towards the approaching French elections, I called attention in the press to the following example, which may decide us to exclude Alsace-Lorraine from the voting, and to which we can refer those who allege such an exclusion to be unprecedented. An American informs us that in the last war between the United States and Mexico an armistice was agreed upon with the object of giving the Mexicans time to choose a new Government, which should conclude peace with the United States. The provinces, the cession of which was demanded by the United States, were not permitted to take part in this election. This is the sole precedent, but it entirely covers the present case. _Thursday, November 3rd._--A fine bright morning. Already at 7 A.M. the iron lions on Mont Valérien began to fill the surrounding wooded valleys with their roaring.