On my return to the office I was much interested by a report of the views recently expressed by Thiers as to the immediate future of France. He regarded it as certain that in case of victory we should retain Alsace. The defeat of Napoleon would be followed by the loss of his throne. He would be succeeded for a few months by a Republic, and then probably by one of the Orleans family, or perhaps by Leopold of Belgium, who, according to the source from which our informant obtained his news (one of Rothschild’s confidants), was known on the best authority to be extremely ambitious. We left Pont à Mousson at 10 o’clock. In the villages along the road the houses stood side by side as in a town. Most of them possessed handsome municipal buildings and schools, and some had seemingly ancient Gothic churches. On the other side of Gironville the road passes a steep hill, with a wide prospect of the plain beneath. Here we left the carriages in order to ease the load for the horses. The Chancellor who drove at the head of our party with Abeken also got out and walked for a quarter of an hour, his big boots reminding one of pictures of the thirty years’ war. Moltke walked beside him; the greatest strategist of our days striding along towards Paris on a country road near the French frontier in company with the greatest statesman of our time! After we had returned to the carriages we saw a number of soldiers to the right putting up a telegraph line. Shortly after 2 o’clock we came to Commercy, a bright little town with about 6,000 inhabitants. The white blinds in the better class houses were for the most part drawn down, as if the occupants did not wish to see the hated Prussians. The people in blouses were more curious and less hostile. The Chief, together with Abeken and Keudell, took up their quarters in the château of Count Macore de Gaucourt in the Rue des Fontaines, where a Prince von Schwarzburg had lodged, and which was now occupied by the lady of the house. Her husband was in the French army and was accordingly with his regiment in the field. He was a very distinguished gentleman, being descended from the old Dukes of Lorraine. There was a pretty flower garden near the house, and behind it was a large wooded park. I put up not far from the Minister’s quarters at No. 1 Rue Heurtebise, where I had a friendly and obliging landlord and an excellent fourpost bed. I called afterwards on the Chancellor, whom I found in the garden, and asked if there was anything for me to do. After thinking for a moment, he said there was, and an hour later I provided work both for the Field Post and the new telegraph line.