a peace basis of the Minister and myself,
with one clerk. We shall have somehow to build up an emergency force to
meet the situation.

* * * * *

_July 30th._--No line on the future yet. Brussels is beginning to look
warlike. Troops are beginning to appear. The railway stations have been
occupied, and the Boy Scouts are swarming over the town as busy as bird
dogs. A week ago there was hardly a tourist in Brussels. Now the Legation
hall is filled with them, and they all demand precise information as to
what is going to happen next and where they can go with a guarantee from
the Legation that they will not get into trouble.

* * * * *

_July 31st._--No, my recent remarks about nothing ever happening in
Brussels were not intended as sarcasm. I thought Belgium was the one
place where I could be sure of a quiet time, and here we are right in
the centre of it. Even if nothing more happens we have had enough
excitement to last me for some time. The doings of the past few days
have brought out some idea of what a general European war would
mean--and it is altogether too dreadful to think of.

* * * * *

_Saturday, Aug. 1st._--Last night when I went home, at about midnight,
I found the police going about with the orders for mobilisation, ringing
the door bells and summoning the men to the colours. There was no time
to tarry, but each man tumbled out of bed into his clothes and hurried
away to his regiment. Two of my neighbours were routed out a little
after midnight, and got away within the hour. There was a good deal of
weeping and handshaking and farewelling, and it was not the sort of
thing to promote restful sleep.

This morning I got down to the chancery at a quarter past eight, and
found that Omer, our good messenger, had been summoned to the colours.
He had gone, of course, and had left a note for me to announce the fact.
He had been ill, and could perfectly well have been exempted. The other
day, when we had discussed the matter, I had told him that there would
be no difficulty in getting him off. He showed no enthusiasm, however,
and merely remarked, without heroics, that it was up to him.

Colonel Falls, 7th Regiment, of the National Guard of New York, came in,
having been sent back from the frontier. He had the pleasure of standing
all the way as the trains we