deposed. Never in China have we had anything of that sort. Our old
dynasty has had to fight against the invasions of the Mongols and
against the insurrections of the Taipings. But three legitimate
sovereigns for the same country, for a single throne! One has to come
to Europe to see such things.

However, the three Parisians gayly discussed the matter, and seemed to
be the best friends in the world.

LONDON, _November 15, 1870_.

As a sequel to the three Frenchwomen, representing three different
monarchs, I met, this evening, at Lord Granville's, three Frenchmen
representing three different republics.

The first asked me why I didn't go to Tours.

"You will find there," he said to me, "the authorized representatives of
the French Republic, and in addressing yourself to M. Gambetta you are
addressing France--"

"Don't do that, Mr. Ambassador!" exclaimed the second Frenchman; "the
real Government of the real French Republic is shut up in Paris. M.
Jules Favre alone can officially receive your visit and your apologies."

"The Republic of Paris isn't worth more than the Republic of Tours," the
third Frenchman then told me. "If we have a Republic in France, it will
be neither the Republic of M. Gambetta nor the Republic of M. Jules
Favre."

"And whose Republic then?"

"The Republic of M. Thiers--"

Whereupon the three Frenchmen began to dispute in earnest. They were
very red, shouted loudly, and made violent gestures. The discussion
about the three monarchies had been much gentler and much more agreeable
than the discussion about the three republics.

During the evening these Frenchmen managed to slip into my ear, in turn,
two or three little phrases of this kind:

"Don't listen," the first one said to me, "to that partisan of the
Government of Paris; he is a lawyer who has come here with a commission
from M. Jules Favre. So you see he has a big salary, and as he wishes to
keep it--"

"Don't listen," the second one said to me, "to that partisan of the
alleged Republic of M. Thiers; he is only a monarchist, a disguised
Orleanist--"

"Don't listen," the third one said to me, "to that partisan of the
Republic of Tours; he is a gentleman who has come to England to get a
loan for the benefit of the Government of Tours; so, as he expects to
get a lot of money--"

Thus I am, if I reckon correctly, face to face with six
governments--three monarchies and three republics.

LONDON, _December 6, 1870_.

I thi