s, led to
a revival of hostilities. A desire being expressed by the Chinese to
resume negotiations, some of the British representatives despatched
for that purpose were treacherously captured, and treated with great
cruelty. The allied troops of England and France thereupon, marched
to Pekin, when reparation was made, and retribution, exacted for the
outrages. A Convention was eventually signed on the 24th of October.

CHAPTER XXIX

1860

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _6th January 1860_.

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I have to thank you for a _most affectionate_
and gracious letter of the 3rd....

I will speak to my pianist about Wagner's _Lohengrin_; he plays with
great taste and feeling, and I purchased a fine Parisian piano to
enable him to go on satisfactorily.

Now I must speak a little of passing events. Louis Napoleon wished
for a Congress because it would have placed a new authority between
himself and the Italians, whom he fears evidently concerning their
fondness of assassinating people. The pamphlet, "The Pope and the
Congress," remains _incomprehensible_[1]; it will do him much harm,
and will deprive him of the confidence of the Catholics who have
been in France his most devoted supporters. Now the Congress is then
postponed, but what is to be done with Italy? One notion is, that
there would be some arrangement by which Piedmont would receive more,
Savoy would go to France, and England would receive Sardinia. I am
sure that England would by no means wish to have Sardinia. It will
give me great pleasure to hear what Lord Cowley has reported on these
subjects. I understand that Louis Napoleon is now much occupied with
Germany, and studies its resources. This is somewhat alarming, as he
had followed, it seems, the same course about Italy. _Gare la bombe_,
the Prussians may say. One cannot understand why Louis Napoleon is
using so many odd subterfuges when plain acting would from the month
of September have settled everything. I must say that I found Walewski
at that time very sensible and conservative. His retiring will
give the impression that things are now to be carried on in a less
conservative way, and people will be much alarmed. I know Thouvenel,
and liked him, but that was in the poor King's time. In England his
nomination will not give much pleasure, I should imagine, as he was in
the situation to oppose English notions in the Orient.... Your devoted
Uncle,

LEOPOL