take up so much
room; do get out of the way a little." I must admit that the poor blue
velvet dress was much to be pitied. It was three years old, having been
a part of the little baroness's trousseau, and had never been worn. "A
high-neck blue velvet dress, at my age, with my shoulders and arms!" had
exclaimed the little baroness; "I should look like a grandmother!" Thus
it was decreed, and the unfortunate blue dress had gone from the
trousseau straight to the reserve.

A week or ten days after the departure of the dresses for Baden-Baden we
heard a noise, the voices of women, and all the doors were opened. It
was the little baroness, who had brought her friend the Countess N----.

"Sit there, my dear, on that ottoman," said the little baroness. "I have
come to look over my dresses. I am very hurried; I arrived but just now
from Baden, and I start again to-night for Anjou. We can chatter while
Hermance shows me the dresses. Oh, those Prussians, my dear, the
monsters! We had to run away, Blanche and myself, like thieves. (Very
simple dresses, Hermance, every-day dresses, and walking and boating
dresses.) Yes, my dear, like thieves! They threw stones at us, real
stones, in the Avenue of Lichtental, and called us 'Rascally
Frenchwomen! French rabble!' The Emperor did well to declare war against
such people. (Dresses for horseback, Hermance--my brown riding-habit.)
At any rate, there's no need to worry. My husband dined yesterday with
Guy; you know, the tall Guy, who is an aide of Leboeuf. Well, we are
ready, admirably ready, and the Prussians not at all. (Very simple, I
said, Hermance. You are showing me ball-dresses. I don't intend to dance
during the war.) And then, my dear, it seems that this war was
absolutely necessary from a dynastic point of view. I don't quite know
why, but I tell it to you as I heard it. (These dozen dresses, Hermance,
will be sufficient. But there are thirteen. I never could have thirteen.
Take away the green one; or, no, add another--that blue one; that's
all.) Now let's go down, my dear."

Whereupon she departed. So war was declared, and with Prussia. I was
much moved. I was a French dress and a Bonapartist dress. I was afraid
for France and afraid for the dynasty, but the words of the tall Guy
were so perfectly reassuring.

For two months there was no news; but about the 10th of September the
little baroness arrived with Hermance. She was very pale, poor little
baroness--very pale and ag