I repaired to Mother Adler's, where I ordered bread and cheese and a bottle of white wine, according to custom, before returning home; and there I heard all those gentlemen, the Government officials, the controllers, the tax-collectors, the judges, the receivers, etc., assembled in the public room, telling one another that the Prussians were going to invade us; that they had already taken half of Germany, and that they were wanting now to lay the Spaniards upon our back in order to take the rest: just as they had put Italy upon the back of the Austrians, before Sadowa. All the mayors present were of the same opinion; they all answered that they would defend themselves, if we were attacked; for the Lorrainers and the Alsacians have never been behindhand in defending themselves: all the world knows that. I went on listening; at last, having paid my bill, I started to return home. I went out of Sarrebourg, and had walked for half an hour in the dust, reflecting upon what had just taken place, when I heard a conveyance coming at a rapid rate behind me. I turned round. It was Cousin George upon his char-a-banc, at which I was much pleased. "Is that you, cousin?" said he, pulling up. "Yes; I am just come from Sarrebourg, and I am not sorry to meet with you, for it is terribly warm." "Well, up with you," said he. "You have had a great gathering to-day; I saw all the public-houses full." I was up, I took my seat, and the conveyance went off again at a trot. "Yes," said I; "it is a strange business; you would never guess why we have been sent for to the sous-prefecture." "What for?" Then I told him all about it; being much excited against the villain Bismarck, who wanted to invade us, and had just invented this Hohenzollern pretext to drive us to extremities. George listened. At last he said: "My poor Christian! the sous-prefet was quite right in calling you a worthy fellow; and all those other mayors that I saw down there, with their red noses, are worthy men; but do you know my opinion upon all those matters?" "What do you think, George?" "Well, my belief is, that they are leading you like a string of asses by the bridle. That sous-prefet will present his report to the prefet, the prefet to the Minister of the Interior, Monsieur Chevandier de Valdrome,--the organizer of the Plebiscite--he who told you to vote 'Yes' to have peace--and that Minister will present his report to the Emperor. They all know that the Emperor desires war, because he needs it for his dynasty." "What! he wants war?"