Had a long conversation with Lord Granville, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Queen of England. I explained to his Excellency that I meant to
go home at once, and that I feel I need not pay further attention to my
French embassy, as France no longer exists. Lord Granville answered me:

"Don't go away so soon; you will perhaps be obliged to come back, and
sooner than you imagine. France is an extraordinary country, which picks
up very quickly. Await the end of the war, and then you can take your
apologies to the Government that France will have decided on giving
itself. Till then remain in England. We shall be most happy to offer you
our hospitality."

LONDON, _November 3, 1870_.

I did not return to China. I am waiting in London till the Minister of
Foreign Affairs is not besieged, and till there is some way of laying
one's hands on the French Government. There are many Parisians here who
escaped from their country on account of the war. I dined yesterday with
his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. Three Parisian women, all three
young, and all three pretty, took possession of me after dinner. We had
a very interesting conversation in English.

"You are looking for the French Government, the legitimate Government?"
said the first of these Parisians. "Why, it is here in England, half an
hour from London. To-morrow go to the Waterloo station and buy a ticket
for Chiselhurst, and there you will find Napoleon III., who is, and has
never ceased to be, the Emperor of the French."

"Don't listen to her, Mr. Ambassador," laughingly said the second
Parisian, "don't listen to her; she is a terrible Bonapartist. Yes, the
true sovereign of France is in England, quite near London, but not at
Chiselhurst; and it is not the Waterloo station you must go to, but the
Victoria station. You mustn't take a ticket for Chiselhurst, but for
Twickenham, and there you will find at Orleans House his Royal Highness
the Count of Paris."

"Don't listen to her, Mr. Ambassador," exclaimed in turn, and also
laughing, the third Parisian, "don't listen to her; she is a terrible
revolutionist! The Count of Paris is not the heir to the throne of
France. To find the legitimate King you must go a little farther than
Chiselhurst or Twickenham; you must go to Austria, to the Frohsdorf
Palace. The King of France--he is the descendant of Henry IV.--is the
Count of Chambord."

If I count aright, that makes three legitimate sovereigns, and all three