d proves nothing at all. In two or
three days we'll get the news of a battle that will decide, not only the
fate of the whole campaign, but the fate of the Empire also."

Two days afterwards, I met him near the Rue Saint-Florentin; he looked
absolutely crestfallen. "We have suffered a terrible defeat near
Wissembourg, but do not breathe a word of it to any one. The Government
is waiting for a victory on some other point, and then it will publish
the two accounts together."

The Government was reckoning without the newspapers, French and foreign.
The latter might be confiscated, and in fact were, such as the _Times_
and _l'Independance Belge_; but the French, notwithstanding the
temporary law of M. Emile Ollivier, were more difficult to deal with. I
am inclined to think that if they had foreseen the terrible fate that
was to befall the French armies they would have been more amenable, but
in the beginning they anticipated nothing but startling victories, and,
as such, looked upon the campaign in the light of a series of brilliant
spectacular performances, glowing accounts of which were essentially
calculated to increase their circulation. When MM. Cardon and
Chabrillat, respectively of the _Gaulois_ and _Figaro_, were released by
the Prussians, they told many amusing stories to that effect,
unconsciously confirming the opinion I have already expressed; but the
following, which I had from the lips of Edmond About himself, is better
than any I can remember.

A correspondent of one of the best Paris newspapers, on his arrival at
the head-quarters of "the army of the Rhine," applied to the
aide-major-general for permission to follow the operations. He had a
good many credentials of more or less weight; nevertheless the
aide-major-general, in view of the formal orders of the Emperor and
Marshal Leboeuf, felt bound to refuse the request. The journalist, on
the other hand, declined to take "no" for an answer. "I have come with
the decided intention to do justice, and more than justice, perhaps, to
your talent and courage, and it would be a pity indeed if I were not
given the opportunity," he said.

"I am very sorry," was the reply; "but I cannot depart from the rules
for any one."

"But our paper has a very large circulation."

"All the more reason to refuse you the authorization to follow the
staff."

The journalist would not look at matters in that light. He felt that he
was conferring a favour, just as he would have