shed. We
learned afterward that the Minister and Villalobar were riding down the
hill and the infernal machine seemed right over their car, giving them a
nice start for a moment. When I got back to the Legation, I found that
the Minister had gone with Villalobar to call on the Burgomaster and the
German General. They found the old gentleman in command at the city
hall, carrying on the government through the Bourgomaster, who has
settled down with resignation to his task. He is tremendously down in
the mouth at having to give up his beautiful Grande Place to a foreign
conqueror, but he has the good sense to see that he can do more good for
his country by staying there and trying to maintain order than by
getting out with a _beau geste_.

The first thing the General did was to excuse himself and go to take a
bath and get a shave, whereupon he reappeared and announced his
readiness to proceed to the discussion of business.

The General said that he had no intention of occupying the town
permanently or of quartering soldiers, or otherwise bothering the
inhabitants. He was sent there to keep open a way so that troops could
be poured through toward the French frontier. They expect to be several
days marching troops through, and during that time they will remain in
nominal control of the city. Judging from this, there must be a huge
army of them coming. We shall perhaps see some of them after the big
engagement, which is bound to take place soon, as they get a little
nearer the French frontier.

Brussels has not been occupied by a foreign army since Napoleon's time,
and that was before it was the capital of a free country. It has been
forty-four years since the capital of a European Power has had hostile
troops marching in triumph through its streets, and the humiliation has
been terrible. The Belgians have always had a tremendous city patriotism
and have taken more pride in their municipal achievements than any
people on earth, and it must hurt them more than it could possibly hurt
any other people. The Burgomaster, when he went out to meet General von
Jarotzky, declined to take his hand. He courteously explained that there
was no personal affront intended, but that under the circumstances he
could hardly bring himself to offer even such a purely perfunctory
manifestation of friendship. The old General, who must be a good deal of
a man, replied quietly that he entirely understood, and that under
similar circumstances he wo