results；　at　any　rate　had　given　me　a　ravenous　appetite。
  Late　that　evening；　the　20th；　we　resumed　our　old　quarters　at　Lagny；
  and　early　next　day　I　made　a　visit　to　the　royal　headquarters　at
  Ferrires；　where　I　observed　great　rejoicing　going　on；　the　occasion　for
  it　being　an　important　victory　gained　near　Mendon；　a　French　corps　of
  about　30；000　men　under　General　Ducrot　having　been　beaten　by　the　Fifth
  Prussian　and　Second　Bavarian　corps。　　Ducrot　had　been　stubbornly
  holding　ground　near　Mendon　for　two　or　three　days；　much　to　the
  embarrassment　of　the　Germans　too；　since　he　kept　them　from　closing　a
  gap　in　their　line　to　the　southwest　of　Paris；　but　in　the　recent　fight
  he　had　been　driven　from　the　field　with　such　heavy　loss　as　to　render
  impossible　his　maintaining　the　gap　longer。　　The　Crown　Prince　of
  Prussia　was　thus　enabled　to　extend　his　left；　without　danger；　as　far
  as　Bougival；　north　of　Versailles；　and　eventually　met　the　right　of　the
  Crown　Prince　of　Saxony；　already　at　Denil；　north　of　St。　Denis。　　The
  unbroken　circle　of　investment　around　Paris　being　well…nigh　assured；
  news　of　its　complete　accomplishment　was　momentarily　expected；
  therefore　everybody　was　jubilant　on　account　of　the　breaking　up　of
  Ducrot；　but　more　particularly　because　word　had　been　received　the　same
  morning　that　a　correspondence　had　begun　between　Bazaine　and　Prince
  Frederick　Charles；　looking　to　the　capitulation　of　Metz；　for　the
  surrender　of　that　place　would　permit　the　Second　Army　to　join　in　the
  siege　of　Paris。
  Learning　all　this；　and　seeing　that　the　investment　was　about
  completed；　I　decided　to　take　up　my　quarters　at　Versailles；　and
  started　for　that　place　on　the　22d；　halting　at　Noisy　le　Grand　to　take
  luncheon　with　some　artillery　officers；　whose　acquaintance　we　had　made
  the　day　of　the　surrender　at　Sedan。　　During　the　meal　I　noticed　two
  American　flags　flying　on　a　couple　of　houses　near　by。　　Inquiring　the
  significance　of　this；　I　was　told　that　the　flags　had　been　put　up　to
  protect　the　buildingsthe　owners；　two　American　citizens；　having　in　a
  bad　fright　abandoned　their　property；　and；　instead　of　remaining
  outside；　gone　into　Paris；〃very　foolishly；〃　said　our　hospitable
  friends；　〃for　here　they　could　have　obtained　food　in　plenty；　and　been
  perfectly　secure　from　molestation。〃
  We　arrived　at　Versailles　about　7　o'clock　that　evening　and　settled
  ourselves　in　the　Hotel　Reservoir；　happy　to　find　there　two　or　three
  American　families；　with　whom；　of　course；　we　quickly　made
  acquaintance。　　This　American　circle　was　enlarged　a　few　days　later　by
  the　arrival　of　General　Wm。　B。　Hazen；　of　our　army；　General　Ambrose　E。
  Burnside；　and　Mr。　Paul　Forbes。　　Burnside　and　Forbes　were　hot　to　see；
  from　the　French　side；　something　of　the　war；　and　being　almost　beside
  themselves　to　get　into　Paris；　a　permit　was　granted　them　by　Count
  Bismarck；　and　they　set　out　by　way　of　Sevres；　Forsyth　and　I
  accompanying　them　as　far　as　the　Palace　of　St。　Cloud；　which　we；
  proposed　to　see；　though　there　were　strict　orders　against　its　being
  visited　generally。　　After　much　trouble　we　managed；　through　the　〃open
  sesame〃　of　the　King's　pass；　to　gain　access　to　the　palace；　but　to　our
  great　disappointment　we　found　that　all　the　pictures　had　been　cut　from
  the　frames　and　carried　off　to　Paris；　except　one　portrait；　that　of
  Queen　Victoria；　against　whom　the　French　were　much　incensed。　　All
  other　works　of　art　had　been　removed；　tooa　most　fortunate
  circumstance；　for　the　palace　being　directly　on　the　German　line；　was
  raked　by　the　guns　from　the　fortress　of　Mont　Valerien；　and　in　a　few
  days　burned　to　the　ground。
  In　less　than　a　week　Burnside　and　Forbes　returned　from　Paris。　　They
  told　us　their　experience　had　been　interesting；　but　were　very　reticent
  as　to　particulars；　and　though　we　tried　hard　to　find　out　what　they　had
  seen　or　done；　we　could　get　nothing　from　them　beyond　the　general
  statement　that　they　had　had　a　good　time；　and　that　General　Trochu　had
  been　considerate　enough　to　postpone　a　sortie；　in　order　to　let　them
  return；　but　this　we　did　not　quite　swallow。　　After　a　day　or　two　they
  went　into　Paris　again；　and　I　then　began　to　suspect　that　they　were
  essaying　the　role　of　mediators；　and　that　Count　Bismarck　was　feeding
  their　vanity　with　permits；　and　receiving　his　equivalent　by　learning
  the　state　of　affairs　within　the　beleaguered　city。
  》From　about　the　1st　of　October　on；　the　Germans　were　engaged　in　making
  their　enveloping　lines　impenetrable；　bringing　up　their　reserves；
  siege　guns；　and　the　like；　the　French　meanwhile　continuing　to　drill
  and　discipline　the　National　Guard　and　relieving　the　monotony
  occasionally　by　a　more　or　less　spirited；　but　invariably　abortive；
  sortie。　　The　most　notable　of　these　was　that　made　by　General　Vinoy
  against　the　heights　of　Clamart；　the　result　being　a　disastrous　repulse
  by　the　besiegers。　　After　this；　matters　settled　down　to　an　almost
  uninterrupted　quietude；　only　a　skirmish　here　and　there；　and　it　being
  plain　that　the　Germans　did　not　intend　to　assault　the　capital；　but
  would　accomplish　its　capture　by　starvation；　I　concluded　to　find　out
  from　Count　Bismarck　about　when　the　end　was　expected；　with　the　purpose
  of　spending　the　interim　in　a　little　tour　through　some　portions　of
  Europe　undisturbed　by　war；　returning　in　season　for　the　capitulation。
  Count　Bismarck　having　kindly　advised　me　as　to　the　possible　date；
  Forsyth　and　I；　on　the　14th　of　October；　left　Versailles；　going　first
  direct　to　the　Chateau　Ferrieres　to　pay　our　respects　to　the　King；
  which　we　did；　and　again　took　luncheon　with　him。　　From　the　chateau　we
  drove　to　Meaux；　and　there　spent　the　night；　resuming　our　journey　next
  morning；　we　passed　through　Epernay；　Rheims；　and　Rethel　to　Sedan；
  where　we　tarried　a　day；　and　finally；　on　October　18；　reached　Brussels。
  CHAPTER　XX。
  BRUSSELSDECIDING　TO　VISIT　EASTERN　EUROPEAUSTRIADOWN　THE　DANUBE…
  …IN　CONSTANTINOPLETHE　LADIES　OF　THE　HAREMTHE　SULTANTURKISH
  SOLDIERSA　BANQUETA　VISIT　IN　ATHENSKING　GEORGE　OF　GREECEVICTOR
  EMMANUEL〃BEDEVILED　WITH　CARES　OF　STATE〃DEER　SHOOTINGA　MILITARY
  DINNERRETURN　TO　VERSAILLESGERMANS　ENTERING　PARISCRITICISM　ON
  THE　FRANCO…PRUSSIAN　WARCONCLUSION。
  On　reaching　Brussels；　one　of　the　first　things　to　do　was　to　pay　my
  respects　to　the　King　of　Belgium；　which　I　did；　accompanied　by　our
  Minister；　Mr。　Russell　Jones。　　Later　I　dined　with　the　King　and　Queen；
  meeting　at　the　dinner　many　notable　people；　among　them　the　Count　and
  Countess　of　Flanders。　　A　day　or　two　in　Brussels　sufficed　to　mature
  our　plans　for　spending　the　time　up　to　the　approximate　date　of　our
  return　to　Paris；　and　deciding　to　visit　eastern　Europe；　we　made　Vienna
  our　first　objective；　going　there　by　way　of　Dresden。
  At　Vienna　our　Minister；　Mr。　John　Jay；　took　charge　of　usForsyth　was
  still　with　meand　the　few　days'　sojourn　was　full　of　interest。　　The
  Emperor　being　absent　from　the　capital；　we　missed　seeing　him；　but　the
  Prime　Minister；　Count　von　Beust；　was　very　polite　to　us；　and　at　his
  house　we　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　at　dinner　Count　Andrassy；　the
  Prime　Minister　of　Hungary。
  》From　Vienna　we　went　to　Buda…Pesth；　the　Hungarian　capital；　and　thence；
  in　a　I　small；　crowded；　and　uncomfortable　steamboat；　down　the　Danube
  to　Rustchuck；　whence　we　visited　Bucharestall　who　travel　in　eastern
  Europe　do　soand　then　directing　our　course　southward；　we　went　first
  to　Varna；　and　from　that　city　by　steamer　through　the　Black　Sea　to
  Constantinople。
  We　reached　the　Turkish　capital　at　the　time　of　Ramadan；　the　period　of
  the　year　（about　a　month）　during　which　the　Mohammedans　are　commanded
  by　the　Koran　to　keep　a　rigorous　fast　every　day　from　sunrise　till
  sunset。　　All　the　followers　of　the　Prophet　were　therefore　busy　with
  their　devotionsholding　a　revival；　as　it　were；　hence　there　was　no
  chance　whatever　to　be　presented　to　the　Sultan；　Abdul　Aziz；　it　being
  forbidden　during　the　penitential　season　for　him　to　receive
  unbelievers；　or　in　fact　any　one　except　the　officials　of　his
  household。　　However；　the　Grand　Vizier　brought　me　many　messages　of
  welcome；　and　arranged　that　I　should　be　permitted　to　see　and　salute
  his　Serene　Highness　on　the　Esplanade　as　he　rode　by　on　horseback　to
  the　mosque。
  So；　the　second　day　after　arrival；　the　Grand　Vizier　drove　me　in　a
  barouche　to　the　Esplanade；　where　we　took　station　about　midway　of　its
  length　an　hour　or　so　before　the　Sultan　was　to　appear。　　Shortly　after
  we　reached　the　Esplanade；　carriages　occupied　by　the　women　of　the
  Sultan's　harem　began　to　appear；　coming　out　from　the　palace　grounds
  and　driving　up　and　down　the　roadway。　　Only　a　few　of　the　women　were
  closely　veiled；　a　majority　of　them　wearing　an　apology　for　veiling；
  merely　a　strip　of　white　lace　covering　the　forehead　down　to　the
  eyebrows。　　Some　were　yellow；　and　some　white…types　of　the　Mongolian
  and　Caucasian　races。　　Now　and　then　a　pretty　face　was　seen；　rarely　a
  beautiful　one。　　Many　were　plump；　even　to　corpulence；　and　these　were
  the　closest　veiled；　being　considered　the　greatest　beauties　I　presume；
  since　with　the　Turk　obesity　is　the　chief　element　of　c