necessary to serve them in more important
matters. I said as much to several of them, who were unusually
long-winded, but every last one replied that HIS case was different and
that he must be heard out at length.

Our refugee train left this morning and took eight hundred more of the
poor people. Where they all turn up from, I don't know, but each day
brings us a fresh and unexpected batch. Many of the cases are very sad,
but if we stop to give sympathy in every deserving case, we should never
get anything practical done for them.

To-day's budget of news is that the French have got to Mulhouse and have
inflicted a decisive defeat upon the Germans. According to reports, the
Alsatians went mad when the French troops crossed the frontier for the
first time in forty-four years. They tore up and burned the frontier
posts and generally gave way to transports of joy. I would have given a
lot to see the crowds in Paris.

A letter came yesterday from Omer, the legation footman, who is at
Tirlemont with the artillery. He said he had not yet been hit, although
he had heard the bullets uncomfortably near. He wound up by saying that
he had _beaucoup de courage_--and I believe him.

It seems that some of the German troops did not know what they were
attacking and thought they were in France. When brought here as
prisoners, some of them expressed surprise to find that Paris was so
small. They seem to have thought that they were in France and the goal
not far away.

The King to-day received through other channels the message from the
Emperor of Germany in regard to peace, which we declined to transmit. I
have not seen its text, but hear it is practically identical with the
message sent us, asking the King to name his conditions for the
evacuation of Liege and the abandonment of his allies, so that Germany
may be entirely free of Belgian opposition in her further operations
against France. I have heard among Belgians only the most indignant
comments on the proposal and look forward with interest to seeing the
answer of the King, which should appear to-morrow.[3]

[Footnote 3: The Belgian reply, which was sent on August 12th through
the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs, is as follows:

The proposal made to us by the German Government repeats the
proposal which was formulated in the ultimatum of August 2nd.
Faithful to her international obligations, Belgium can only
reiterate her reply to that ultimatum,