The postponement of the bombardment was again discussed at dinner. The Chancellor said he could not understand the absurd rumour circulated in the newspapers, to the effect that he was opposed to the bombardment while the military authorities were pressing for it. “Exactly the contrary is the case. No one is more urgent in favour of it than I am, and it is the military authorities who hesitate. A great deal of my correspondence is taken up in dispelling the scruples and excessive circumspection of the military people. It appears that the artillery are constantly requiring more time for preparation and particularly a larger supply of ammunition. At Strassburg, they also asked for much more than was necessary, as notwithstanding the foolish waste of powder and shell, two-thirds of the supply collected was never used.” Alten objected that even if the forts in question were captured they would be then subjected to the fire from the enceinte, and we should have to begin over again. “That may be,” said the Minister, “but they ought to have known that sooner, as there was no fortress we knew so much about from the commencement as Paris.” Somebody remarked that in the two balloons that had been seized five persons had been taken prisoners. The Chief considered that they ought to be treated as spies without any lengthy deliberation. Alten said they would be brought up before a court-martial, whereupon the Minister exclaimed, “Well, nothing will happen to them there!” He then observed how stout and strong Count Bill was. At his age he himself was slight and thin. “At Göttingen I was as thin as a knitting-needle.” Mention having been made of the circumstance that the sentry posted outside the villa occupied by the Crown Prince had been shot at and wounded the night before, and that the town would be obliged to pay him five thousand francs as compensation, the Chief said that in going out in the evening he would not take his sword but rather a revolver--“as although in certain circumstances I should be quite willing to let myself be murdered, I should not like to die unavenged.” After dinner I was instructed by the Chancellor to again telegraph an account of the negotiations with Thiers, only in a somewhat different form. On my venturing to observe that the contents of the despatch had been telegraphed in the morning he replied, “Not quite accurately; you see here ‘Count Bismarck proposed, &c.’ You must notice such fine shades if you want to work in the first Foreign Office of the world.” _Tuesday, November 8th._--In the morning I sent off a telegram stating that the prisoners taken in the balloons have been transported to a Prussian fortress in order to be tried there by court-martial. Furthermore that the confiscated letters compromised diplomats and other personages who have been permitted to remain in communication with the outer world out of consideration for their position and sense of honour. Such communication would no longer be tolerated.