The Chief afterwards gave Abeken instructions respecting communications to be made to the King. The Chancellor looked through a number of despatches and reports with him. Pointing to one document he said: “Do not give him that without an explanation. Tell him how the matter arose, otherwise he will misunderstand it. That long despatch from Bernstorff--well, you can show him that also. But the newspaper article enclosed--the gentlemen of the Embassy take things very easy--I have already said frequently that such articles must be translated, or, better still, that they should be accompanied by a _précis_. And tell his Majesty also,” said the Minister in conclusion, “that, properly speaking, we ought not to allow the Frenchman to join the Conference in London” (the approaching Conference on the revision of the Paris Treaty of 1856), “as he would represent a Government which is not recognised by the Powers, and which will have no legal existence for a long time to come. We can do it to please Russia in this question. At any rate, if he begins to speak of other matters he must at once be sent about his business.” The Chief then related the following incident: “To-day, after calling upon Roon, I made a round which may prove to have been useful. I inspected Marie Antoinette’s apartment in the palace, and then I thought I would see how the wounded were getting on. The servant who acted as my guide had a pass-key, so I decided not to go in by the main entrance, but by the back way. I asked one of the hospital attendants what food the people had. Not very much. A little soup, which was supposed to be bouillon, with broken bread and some grains of rice, which were not even boiled soft. There was hardly any meat fat in it. ‘And how about wine? and do they get any beer?’ I asked. They got about half a glass of wine during the day, he said. I inquired of another, who had had none, and then of a third who had had some three days ago and none since then. I then went on to question several of the men, in all about a dozen, down to the Poles, who could not understand me, but showed their pleasure at somebody taking an interest in them by smiling. So that our poor wounded soldiers do not get what they ought to, and suffer from cold besides, because the rooms must not be warmed for fear of injuring the pictures. As if the life of one of our soldiers was not worth more than all the trashy pictures in the palace! The servant told me also that the oil lamps only remained alight until 11 o’clock, and that after that the men have to lie in the dark until morning. I had previously spoken to a non-commissioned officer, who was wounded in the foot. He said he did not want to complain, although things could be much better. Some consideration was paid to him, but as to the others! A member of the Bavarian Ambulance Corps now plucked up courage, and said that wine and beer had been provided, but that half of it had probably been intercepted somewhere; it was the same with