that a country must have foreign relations, and that France must take her place again as a great power, but home politics interested him much more than anything else.  He was a charming talker—­every one wanted to talk to him, or rather to listen to him.  The evenings were pleasant enough in the diplomatic salon.  It was interesting to see the attitude of the different diplomatists.  All were correct, but most of them were visibly antagonistic to the Republic and the Republicans (which they considered much accentuee since the nomination of Grevy—­the women rather more so than the men).  One felt, if one didn’t hear, the criticisms on the dress, deportment, and general style of the Republican ladies.

[Illustration:  The Elysee Palace, Paris]

I didn’t quite understand their view of the situation.  They were all delighted to come to Paris, and knew perfectly well the state of things, what an abyss existed between all the Conservative party, Royalists and Bonapartists, and the Republican, but the absence of a court didn’t make any difference in their position.  They went to all the entertainments given in the Faubourg St. Germain, and all the societe came to theirs.  With very few exceptions they did only what was necessary in the way of intercourse with the official world.  I think they made a mistake, both for themselves and their governments.  France was passing through an entirely new phase; everything was changing, many young intelligent men were coming to the front, and there were interesting and able discussions in the Chambers, and in the salons of the Republican ministers and deputies.  I dare say the new theories of liberty and equality were not sympathetic to the trained representatives of courts, but the world was advancing, democracy was in the air, and one would have thought it would have interested foreigners to follow the movement and to judge for themselves whether the young Republic had any chance of life.  One can hardly imagine a public man not wishing to hear all sides of a question, but I think, certainly in the beginning, there was such a deep-rooted distrust and dislike to the Republic, that it was impossible to see things fairly.  I don’t know that it mattered very much.  In these days of rapid travelling and telephone, an ambassador’s role is much less important than in the old days when an ambassador with his numerous suite of secretaries and servants, travelling by post, would be days on the road before reaching his destination, and when all sorts of things might happen, kingdoms and dynasties be overthrown in the interval.  Now all the great measures and negotiations are discussed and settled in the various chancelleries—­the ambassador merely transmits his instructions.