I received a letter from Mr. Mallet this morning, inclosing an invitation to assist at a concert given by all the _musiques militaires à Paris_ on the Place de la Concorde, and offering a ticket for two places on the terrace of the Tuileries. The idea of these creatures on the brink of annihilation, death, and destruction giving a concert! If it were not so tragic it would really be laughable. DEAR LADY,--I wish I could bring you this extraordinary document _de viva persona_; but I do not like to leave the embassy, even for a short time. Lascelles and I are well, but very anxious. You will notice that this invitation is for the 21st. Our friends evidently think we will be pleasantly attuned to music on that day. They are as mad as March hares; they will be asking us to dance at Mazas next.... Hoping you are not as depressed as we are, Yours, E. MALLET. Just as I had finished reading the above we heard a tremendous explosion. Louis said it was _l'École Militaire_, which was to be blown up to-day. What are we coming to? Louis and I ventured to go up to the third story, and we put our heads out of one of the small windows. We saw the bombs flying over our heads like sea-gulls. All the sky was dimmed with black smoke, but we could not see if anything was burning, though we hear that the Tuileries is on fire and all the public buildings are being set fire to. An organized mob of _pétroleurs_ and _pétroleuses_ receive two francs a day for pouring petroleum about and then setting fire. How awful! Louis assures us that they will not come near us, as their only idea is to destroy public property. My father-in-law says the fever of destruction may seize them, and they might pillage the fine houses and set fire to them. He is having everything of value, like jewels, silver, and his precious bric-à-brac, carried down to the cellar, where there is an iron vault, and has showed us all how to open it in case of a disaster. _May 21st._ (Sunday evening)--The Versaillais entered Paris by the Point du Jour, led by gallant Gallifet. _May 22d._--Rigault gave the order that all the hostages (_otages_) were to be shot. Rigault wrote the order himself. It does not bear any of the fantastic seals they are so fond of, and of which they have an incredible quantity. It has been written on a paper (_une déclaration d'expédition du chemin de fer d'Orléans_). Probably he was trying to get away. It was the last order he gave, and the last fuse to be used to set fire to the funeral pile. This proclamation, of which I give an exact copy, will give you a little idea of what this horrible brute is capable of: Floréal, an 79 [the way they date things in republics]. Fusillez l'Archevêque et les otages; incendiez les Tuileries et le Palais Royal, et repliez-vous sur la rue Germain-des-Prés. Procureur de la Commune, Ici tout va bien. RAOUL RIGAULT.