niere, on her way to be buried, who
had been killed by one. At the garden of the Luxembourg and at the
artesian well near the Invalides I heard of shells, but could not find
out where they had struck. As far as I can make out, the Prussians aim
at the bastions, and occasionally, but rarely, at some public building.
Probably about 50 shells have been sent with malice prepense inside the
town. Just behind a bastion it is a little dangerous; but in Grenelle,
Vaugirard, and Montrouge, the risk to each individual is not so great as
it would be to go over a crowded crossing in London. In these quarters I
saw a few people moving away with their goods and chattels; but the
population generally seemed rather pleased than otherwise with what was
going on. Except close in by the ramparts, there was no excitement.
Almost the whole of the portion of the town on the left bank of the
Seine is now under fire; but even should it be seriously bombarded, I
doubt if the effect will be at all commensurate with the expense of
powder and projectiles. When shells fall over a very large area, the
odds against each separate person being hit by them are so large that no
one thinks that--happen what may to others--he will be wounded.

_January 11th._

The spy mania, which raged with such intensity at the commencement of
the siege, has again broken out. Every day persons are arrested because
they are supposed, by lighted candles and other mysterious devices, to
be in communication with the enemy. Sergeant Hoff, who used to kill his
couple of brace of Germans every day, and who disappeared after
Champigny, it is now said was a spy; and instead of mourning over his
wife, who had been slain by the Prussians, kept a mistress in splendour,
like a fine gentleman. Foreigners are looked upon suspiciously in the
streets. Very black looks are cast upon the Americans who have
established and kept up the best ambulance there is in Paris at their
own cost. Even the French ambulances are suspected, since some of their
members, during a suspension of arms, broke bread with the Prussians;
for it is held that any one who does not hate a German must be in the
pay of Bismarck. But this is not all: the newspapers hint that there are
spies at headquarters. General Schmitz has a valet who has a wife, and
this wife is a German. What more clear than that General Schmitz
confides what passes at councils of war to his valet--generals usually
do; that the valet confides i