Russell mentioned having once seen Grammont out shooting in Rome dressed in blue velvet. “Yes,” added the Chief, “he is a good sportsman. He has the strength of muscle required for it. He would have made an excellent gamekeeper. But as a Minister for Foreign Affairs, one can hardly conceive how Napoleon came to select him.” The Minister joined us at the tea-table about 10 o’clock, and referred again to the bombardment. He said: “I did not from the very beginning wish to have Paris invested. If what the general staff said at Ferrières were correct, namely, that they could dispose of a couple of the forts in three days, and then attack the weak enceinte, it would have been all right. But it was a mistake to let 60,000 regulars keep an army of 200,000 men engaged in watching them.” “One month up to Sedan, and here we have already spent three months, for to-morrow is the 1st of December. If we had telegraphed immediately after Sedan for siege guns we should be now in the city, and there would be no intervention on the part of the neutral Powers. If I had known that three months ago I should have been extremely anxious. The danger of intervention on the part of the neutral Powers increases daily. It begins in a friendly way, but it may end very badly.” Keudell remarked: “The idea of not bombarding first arose here.” “Yes,” replied the Chief, “through the English letters to the Crown Prince.” _Thursday, December 1st._--We were joined at dinner by a first lieutenant, Von Saldern, who took part in the last engagement between the 10th Army Corps and the Loire army. According to him that corps was for a considerable time surrounded by the superior French force at Beaune la Rolande, the enemy endeavouring to force their way through one of our wings towards Fontainebleau. Our soldiers defended themselves with the greatest gallantry and determination for seven hours, Wedel’s troops and the men of the 16th regiment specially distinguishing themselves. “We made over 1600 prisoners,” said Saldern, “and the total loss of the French is estimated at four to five thousand.” “I should have been better pleased,” said the Chief, “if they had all been corpses. It is simply a disadvantage to us now to make prisoners.”