It seemed as if the one thing France craved and coveted was a poor, lonely farm-house in the distance, apparently unprotected. All the stratagems of war, all the trumpeting and capering about, were brought to bear on conquering that little house. The artillery collided up against it; the infantry, with drums beating, marched boldly to the very door-steps; the cavalry pranced around it.... But for the life of me, though I was staring as hard as I could through my opera-glasses, I could not tell whether France had got it or not. However, there was so much smoke, it might have capitulated without my noticing. I suppose the generals knew. It made me think of Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade." Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them, Volley'd and thunder'd. The guns and cannons kept up such a continual firing that the ground actually shook under our feet. I wondered why so much powder and energy should be wasted on a helpless farm-house, and dreaded to think what the real thing must he, if this was only sham. When it was apparently finished, and every one in the neighborhood had surrendered, they sounded a grand fanfare, and blew a mighty blast of trumpets, the officers dashed up full tilt to the Emperor, and announced, "Victory all along the line!" I can't tell you how sweet the little Prince looked when he distributed the _médaille de mérite_ to the brave warriors, who received it with due modesty, saluting gravely. The Emperor rode about among the carriages and asked us ladies how we had liked it, and if there had been too much noise. The company at dinner to-night looked particularly brilliant; there must have been a hundred and fifty people present, as the generals and the officers were asked to remain to dinner. I had one general next to me at table, the famous General Changarnier, who my other neighbor said had one foot in the grave and the other _dans le plat_. He was so old and thin and bony that if his uniform had not kept him up he would have crumbled together before my eyes, and have become a zero instead of a hero. However, he kept together while dinner lasted, for which I was thankful, and I returned him safely to posterity and to the salon. Their Majesties devoted themselves exclusively to the Army after dinner; but they sent word by a chamberlain that we were to commence dancing, though they had not finished the _cercle_. Waldteufel was already seated at the piano, waiting. The officers danced vigorously. The elder ones ventured on quadrilles, and danced them with great gusto. Prince Murat, noticing the old general skipping about so youthfully, proposed a Virginia reel, with a view to giving them a little more exercise. Every one entered into the spirit of it; but there were only a few who knew how to dance it.