personal memoirs-2-第59节

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Germans　into　negotiations　through　the　medium　of　a　third　party　only

for　purposes　of　delay。　　So　the　next　morning　Lord　Lyons's　secretary；

Mr。　Edward　Malet；　returned　to　Paris　empty…handed；　except　that　he　bore

a　communication　positively　declining　mediation；　which　message；

however；　led　no　doubt　to　an　interview　between　Bismarck　and　Favre　a

couple　of　days　later。



The　forenoon　of　September　19　the　King　removed　to　the　Chateau

Ferrieresa　castle　belonging　to　the　Rothschild　family；　where

Napoleon　had　spent　many　happy　days　in　the　time　of　his　prosperity。

His　Majesty　took　up　his　quarters　here　at　the　suggestion　of　the　owner；

we　were　told；　so　that　by　the　presence　of　the　King　the　magnificent

chateau　and　its　treasures　of　art　would　be　unquestionably　protected

from　all　acts　of　vandalism。



All　of　the　people　at　headquarters　except　the　King's　immediate　suite

were　assigned　quarters　at　Lagny；　and　while　Forsyth　and　I；　accompanied

by　Sir　Henry　Havelock；　of　the　British　army；　were　driving　thither；　we

passed　on　the　road　the　representative　of　the　National　Defense

Government；　Jules　Favre；　in　a　carriage　heading　toward　Meaux。

Preceded　by　a　flag　of　truce　and　accompanied　by　a　single；　companion；

be　was　searching　for　Count　Bismarck；　in　conformity；　doubtless；　with

the　message　the　Chancellor　had　sent　to　Paris　on　the　17th　by　the

British　secretary。　　A　half…mile　further　on　we　met　Bismarck。　　He　too

was　traveling　toward　Meaux；　not　in　the　best　of　humor　either；　it

appeared；　for　having　missed　finding　the　French　envoy　at　the

rendezvous　where　they　had　agreed　to　meet；　he　stopped　long　enough　to

say　that　the　〃air　was　full　of　lies；　and　that　there　were　many　persons

with　the　army　bent　on　business　that　did　not　concern　them。〃



The　armies　of　the　two　Crown　Princes　were　now　at　the　outskirts　of

Paris。　　They　had　come　from　Sedan　mainly　by　two　routesthe　Crown

Prince　of　Saxony　marching　by　the　northern　line；　through　Laon　and

Soissons；　and　the　Crown　Prince　of　Prussia　by　the　southern　line；

keeping　his　right　wing　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Marne；　while　his　left

and　centre　approached　the　French　capital　by　roads　between　that　river

and　the　Seine。



The　march　of　these　armies　had　been　unobstructed　by　any　resistance

worth　mentioning；　and　as　the　routes　of　both　columns　lay　through　a

region　teeming　with　everything　necessary　for　their　support；　and　rich

even　in　luxuries；　it　struck　me　that　such　campaigning　was　more　a　vast

picnic　than　like　actual　war。　　The　country　supplied　at　all　points

bread；　meat；　and　wine　in　abundance；　and　the　neat　villages；　never　more

than　a　mile　or　two　apart；　always　furnished　shelter；　hence　the

enormous　trains　required　to　feed　and　provide　camp　equipage　for　an

army　operating　in　a　sparsely　settled　country　were　dispensed　with；　in

truth；　about　the　only　impedimenta　of　the　Germans　was　their　wagons

carrying　ammunition；　pontoon…boats；　and　the　field…telegraph。



On　the　morning　of　the　20th　I　started　out　accompanied　by　Forsyth　and

Sir　Henry　Havelock；　and　took　the　road　through　Boissy　St。　George；

Boissy　St。　Martins　and　Noisy　Le　Grand　to　Brie。　　Almost　every　foot　of

the　way　was　strewn　with　fragments　of　glass　from　wine　bottles；　emptied

and　then　broken　by　the　troops。　　There　was；　indeed；　so　much　of　this

that　I　refrain　from　making　any　estimate　of　the　number　of　bottles；

lest　I　be　thought　to　exaggerate；　but　the　road　was　literally　paved

with　glass；　and　the　amount　of　wine　consumed　（none　was　wasted）　must

have　been　enormous；　far　more；　even；　than　I　had　seen　evidence　of　at

any　time　before。　　There　were　two　almost　continuous　lines　of　broken

bottles　along　the　roadsides　all　the　way　down　from　Sedan；　but　that

exhibit　was　small　compared　with　what　we　saw　about　Brie。



At　Brie　we　were　taken　charge　of　by　the　German　commandant　of　the

place。　　He　entertained　us　most　hospitably　for　an　hour　or　so；　and

then；　accompanied　by　a　lieutenant；　who　was　to　be　our　guide；　I　set　out

ahead　of　my　companions　to　gain　a　point　on　the　picket…line　where　I

expected　to　get　a　good　look　at　the　French；　for　their　rifle…pits　were

but　a　few　hundred　yards　off　across　the　Marne；　their　main　line　being

just　behind　the　rifle…pits。　　As　the　lieutenant　and　I　rode　through　the

village；　some　soldiers　warned　us　that　the　adventure　would　；be

dangerous；　but　that　we　could　probably　get　to　the　desired　place　unhurt

if　we　avoided　the　French　fire　by　forcing　our　horses　to　a　run　in

crossing　some　open　streets　where　we　would　be　exposed。　　On　getting　to

the　first　street　my　guide　galloped　ahead　to　show　the　way；　and　as　the

French　were　not　on　the　lookout　for　anything　of　the　kind　at　these

dangerous　points；　only　a　few　stray　shots　were　drawn　by　the

lieutenant；　but　when　I　followed；　they　were　fully　up　to　what　was　going

on；　and　let　fly　a　volley　every　time　they　saw　me　in　the　open。

Fortunately；　however；　in　their　excitement　they　overshot；　but　when　I

drew　rein　alongside　of　my　guide　under　protection　of　the　bluff　where

the　German　picket　was　posted；　my　hair　was　all　on　end；　and　I　was　about

as　badly　scared　as　ever　I　had　been　in　my　life。　　As　soon　as　I　could

recover　myself　I　thought　of　Havelock　and　Forsyth；　with　the　hope　that

they　would　not　follow；　nor　did　they；　for　having　witnessed　my

experience；　they　wisely　concluded　that；　after　all；　they　did　not　care

so　much　to　see　the　French　rifle…pits。



When　I　had　climbed　to　the　top　of　the　bluff　I　was　much　disappointed；

for　I　could　see　but　littleonly　the　advanced　rifle…pits　across　the

river；　and　Fort　Nogent　beyond　them；　not　enough；　certainly；　to　repay　a

non…combatant　for　taking　the　risk　of　being　killed。　　The　next　question

was　to　return；　and　deciding　to　take　no　more　such　chances　as　those　we

had　run　in　coming　out；　I　said　we　would　wait　till　dark；　but　this

proved　unnecessary；　for　to　my　utter　astonishment　my　guide　informed　me

that　there　was　a　perfectly　safe　route　by　which　we　might　go　back。　　I

asked　why　we　had　not　taken　it　in　coming；　and　he　replied　that　he　had

thought　it　〃too　long　and　circuitous。〃　　To　this　I　could　say　nothing；

but　I　concluded　that　that　was　not　quite　the　correct　reason；　the　truth

is　that　early　that　morning　the　young　fellow　had　been　helping　to　empty

some　of　the　many　wine　bottles　I　saw　around　Brie；　and　consequently　had

a　little　more　〃Dutch　courage〃was　a　little　more　rashthan　would

have　been　the　case　under　other　conditions。



I　rode　back　to　Brie　by　the　〃long　and　circuitous〃　route；　and　inquiring

there　for　my　companions；　found　Havelock　waiting　to　conduct　me　to　the

village　of　Villiers；　whither；　he　said；　Forsyth　had　been　called　to

make　some　explanation　about　his　passport；　which　did　not　appear　to　be

in　satisfactory　shape。　　Accordingly　we　started　for　Villiers；　and

Havelock；　being　well　mounted　on　an　English　〃hunter；〃　and　wishing　to

give　me　an　exhibition　of　the　animal's　training　and　power；　led　the　way

across　ditches　and　fences；　but　my　horse；　never　having　followed　〃the

hounds；〃　was　unsafe　to　experiment　with；　so；　after　trying　a　low　fence

or　two；　I　decided　to　leave　my　friend　alone　in　his　diversion；　and　a

few　moments　later；　seeing　both　horse　and　rider　go　down　before　a　ditch

and　high　stone　wall；　I　was　convinced　that　my　resolution　was　a

discreet　one。　　After　this　mishap；　which　luckily　resulted　in　no　harm；

I　hoped　Sir　Henry　would　give　up　the　amusement；　but　by　failure

becoming　only　the　more　determined；　in　a　second　effort　he　cleared　the

wall　handsomely　and　rode　across…country　to　the　villages。　　Following

the　road　till　it　passed　under　a　railway　bridge；　I　there　thought　I　saw

a　chance　to　gain　Villiers　by　a　short…cut；　and　changing　my　course

accordingly；　I　struck　into　a　large　vineyard　to　the　left；　and

proceeding　a　few　hundred　yards　through　the　vines；　came　suddenly　upon

a　German　picket…post。　　The　guard　immediately　leveled　their　rifles　at

me；　when；　remembering　my　Rezonville　experience　of　being　taken　for　a

French　officer　because　of　my　uniform；　I　hastily　flung　myself　from　the

saddle　in　token　of　surrender。　　The　action　being　rightly　interpreted；

the　men　held　their　fire；　and　as　my　next　thought　was　the　King's　pass　I

reached　under　my　coat…skirt　for　the　document；　but　this　motion　being

taken　as　a　grab　for　my　pistol；　the　whole　lot　of　themsome　ten　in

numberagain　aimed　at　me；　and　with　such　loud　demands　for　surrender

that　I　threw　up　my　hands　and　ran　into　their　ranks。　　The　officer　of

the　guard　then　coming　up；　examined　my　credentials；　and　seeing　that

they　were　signed　by　the　King　of　Prussia；　released　me　and　directed　the

recovery　of　my　horse；　which　was　soon　caught；　and　I　was　then　conducted

to　the　quarters　of　the　commandant；　where　I　found　Forsyth　with　his

pass　properly　vised；　entirely　ignorant　of　my　troubles；　and

contentedly　regaling　himself　on　cheese　and　beer。　　Havelock　having　got

to　the　village　ahead　of　me；　thanks　to　his　cross…country　ride；　was

there　too；　sipping　beer　with　Forsyth；　nor　was　I　slow　to　follow　their

example；　for　the　ride　of　the　day；　though　rather　barren　in　other

results；　at　any　rate　had　given　me　a　ravenous　appetite。



Late　that　evening；　the　20th；　we　resumed　our　old　quarters　at　Lagny；