nguage. He was a clever mathematician, and, that
evening, he endeavoured to prove mathematically that Von Moltke had
committed several blunders, both at Sadowa and Sedan. "That kind of
thing," said Jourde, after he was gone, "was sure to 'fetch' the
Central-Committee; he always reminds me of the doctors in Moliere trying
to prove that one of their confreres had cured a patient contrary to the
principles of medicine. Mind, do not imagine that La Cecilia is not a
good soldier. He got all his grades in the Italian army, on the
battle-fields of '59-'60, and, during the late war, he directed the
brilliant defence of Alencon. But between a good soldier and a great
general there is a vast difference."

Physically, Dombrowski was almost the counterpart of La Cecilia, with
the exception of the glasses and the small-pox. But while the
Frenchman--for Cecilia was a Frenchman notwithstanding his Italian
name--was modest though critical, the Pole was a braggart, though by no
means devoid of courage. Up to the very end, he sent in reports of his
victories, all of which were purely imaginary. Even as late as the 21st
of May, when the Versailles troops were carrying everything before them,
the newspaper-boys were shouting, "Brilliant victory of General
Dombrowski." Dombrowski had been invested with his high command under
the pretext that he had fought under Garibaldi and in the Polish
struggle against Russia. It transpired afterwards that he had never seen
Garibaldi nor Garibaldi him, and that, so far from having aided his own
countrymen, he had been a simple private in the Russian army. Still, he
was a better man than his countryman Wrobleski, who showed his courage
by going to bed while the Versaillais were shelling Vanves.

* * * * *

Among my papers I find a torn programme of a concert at the Tuileries
during the Commune. It reads as follows:--

COMMUNE DE PARIS,

PALAIS DES TUILERIES

Servant pour LA PREMIERE FOIS a une oeuvre patriotique

GRAND CONCERT

Au Profit des Veuves et Orphelins de la Republique.
----
_Sous le Patronage de la Commune et du Citoyen Dr. Rousselle._
----
Tout porteur de billet pris a l'avance pourra sans retribution, visiter
le Palais des Tuileries.

The rest is missing, but I remember that among the artists who gave
their services were Mesdames Agar and Bordas; MM. Coquelin cadet, and
Francis Thome, the pianist.

I did not take my ticket befor