"Try again," he said.

This time we could see through the glasses that the house had been hit, for a portion of one of the walls toppled over, and a column of dust arose.

No Prussians, however, emerged.

A few shots were then fired promiscuously into the woods, in order to sound the lines; and then Commandant, officers, friend and I, withdrew to breakfast.

I was, of course, cautious in my conversation, and all that was said I do not care to repeat--the general feeling, however, seemed to be that the prospects of Paris defending itself successfully were considerably weakened by the "lot of lawyers" who interfered with matters about which they knew nothing.