ugar in Paris for six days. The rationing of meat
began to-day. We shall get three quarters of a pound per person and per
day.

Incidents of the postponed Commune. Feverish unrest in Paris. Nothing
to cause uneasiness, however. The deep-toned Prussian cannon thunder
continuously. They recommend unity among us.

The Minister of Finance, M. Ernest Picard, through his secretary, asks
me to "grant him an audience;" these are the terms he uses. I answer
that I will see him on Monday morning, October 10.

October 9.--Five delegates from the Ninth Arrondissement came in the
name of the arrondissement to *forbid me to get myself killed*.

October 10.--M. Ernest Picard came to see me. I asked him to issue
immediately a decree liberating all articles pawned at the Mont de Piete
for less than 15 francs (the present decree making absurd exceptions,
linen, for instance). I told him that the poor could not wait. He
promised to issue the decree to-morrow.

There is no news of Gambetta. We are beginning to get uneasy. The wind
carried him to the north-east, which is occupied by the Prussians.

October 11.--Good news of Gambetta. He descended at Epineuse, near
Amiens.

Last night, after the demonstrations in Paris, while passing a group
that had assembled under a street lamp, I heard these words: "It appears
that Victor Hugo and the others--." I continued on my way, and did not
listen to the rest, as I did not wish to be recognised.

After dinner I read to my friends the verses with which the French
edition of _Les Chatiments_ begins ("When about to return to France,"
Brussels, August 31, 1870).

October 12.--It is beginning to get cold. Barbieux, who commands a
battalion, brought us the helmet of a Prussian soldier who was killed by
his men. This helmet greatly astonished little Jeanne. These angels do
not yet know anything about earth.

The decree I demanded for the indigent was published this morning in the
"Journal Officiel."

M. Pallain, the Minister's secretary, whom I met as I came out of the
Carrousel, told me that the decree would cost 800,000 francs.

I replied: "Eight hundred thousand francs, all right. Take from the
rich. Give to the poor."

October 13.--I met to-day Theophile Gautier, whom I I had not seen for
many years. I embraced him. He was rather nervous. I told him to come
and dine with me.

October 14.--The Chateau of Saint Cloud was burned yesterday!

I went to Claye's to c