On my hearing next morning that the King and the Chancellor were going off together in order to be present at the great battue of the second French army I thought of a favourite proverb of the Chief’s which he repeated to me on his return from Rezonville:--“_Wer sich grün macht, den fressen die Ziegen_,” and plucking up heart I begged him to take me with him. He answered, “But if we remain there for the night what will you do?” I replied, “That doesn’t matter, Excellency; I shall know how to take care of myself.” “Well, then, come along!” said he, laughing. The Minister took a walk in the market-place while I, in high good humour, fetched my travelling bag, waterproof and faithful diary. On his return he entered his carriage and motioned to me to join him, when I took my place at his side. One must have luck to secure such a piece of good fortune, and one must also follow it up. We started shortly after 9 o’clock. At first we retraced our steps along yesterday’s road. Then to the left through vineyards and past several villages in a hilly district. We met some parks of artillery and troops on the march or resting by the way. About 11 o’clock we reached the little town of Busancy, where we stopped in the market-place to wait for the King. The Chief was very communicative. He complained that he was frequently disturbed at his work by persons talking outside his door, “particularly as some of the gentlemen have such loud voices. An ordinary inarticulate noise does not annoy me. I am not put out by music or the rattle of waggons, but what irritates me is a conversation in which I can distinguish the words. I then want to know what it is about, and so I lose the thread of my own ideas.” He then pointed out to me that when officers saluted our carriage, it was not for me to return the salute. He himself was not saluted as Minister or Chancellor, but solely as a general officer, and soldiers might feel offended if a civilian seemed to think that the salute was also intended for him. He was afraid that nothing in particular would occur that day, an opinion which was shared by some Prussian artillery officers who were standing by their guns immediately opposite Busancy, and with whom he spoke. “It will be just as it was occasionally when I was out wolf shooting in the Ardennes. After wandering about for days in the snow, we used to hear that a track had been discovered, but when we followed it up the wolf had disappeared. It will be the same with the French to-day.”