e where William
Hohenzollern is breaking the furniture, and we will close the door and
pull down the blinds, and when we get through, we will come out and tell
people about it."

Yesterday was just a day of work with a great deal of beating people on
the back and assuring them that their lives are not in danger just
because the Court has gone to Antwerp. They all seem to be convinced
that their throats are going to be cut immediately.

This morning we had the usual deluge of newspaper men and correspondents.
The Minister went off with the Spanish Minister to call on the military
authorities, who are the only ones with whom we now have any relations,
and while he was gone, Sir Francis came in and announced that he had
been ordered to leave for Antwerp and place his Legation and British
interests under our charge. The news is that the German cavalry in
considerable force is marching toward Brussels. The military authorities
are getting ready to defend the city, which is quite a futile proceeding,
as the available forces are inadequate, so that the only result will be
that a lot of innocent people will be killed quite incidentally. The
Governor expects to resist about as far as the ring of inner boulevards,
which are about four blocks farther in than we are. Our street is
probably one of the principal ones by which the Germans would enter. A
hundred yards farther out there is a big railroad barricade, where a
stand would probably be made, so that our Legation would undoubtedly get
a fair share of the wild shots from both sides. The cellar is being made
ready for occupancy during the shindy, if it comes. The Burgomaster came
in to say that he had a house prepared for our occupancy in the safe
part of town; but we were not prepared to abandon the Legation and
declined with sincere thanks for his thoughtfulness.

I went over and saw Sir Francis and the Legation staff just as they were
leaving. They refused to have their plans upset by any little thing like
a German advance, so had their lunch peacefully at the usual hour and
then left in motors.

At seven o'clock Cobb, McCutcheon, and the rest of the crowd, were due
at my house, so I gathered up the Minister, the Consul-General, and
Blount, and repaired thither. Davis and Morgan turned up a little late,
but nothing has been heard of the rest of the crowd so far--10:30 P.M.
They were to have dined here, but have not appeared or sent word.

Crowds of people are pouring in