The winter months went by quickly enough with periodical alarms in the political world when some new measure was discussed which aroused everybody’s passions and satisfied neither side.  I made weekly visits to my own house, which was never dismantled, as I always felt our stay at the Quai d’Orsay would not last much longer.  One of our colleagues, Madame Leon Say, an intelligent, charming woman, took matters more philosophically than I did.  Her husband had been in and out of office so often that she was quite indifferent to sudden changes of residence.  They too kept their house open and she said she had always a terrine de crise ready in her larders.

The diplomatic appointments, the embassies particularly, were a difficulty.  Admiral Pothnau went to London.  He was a very gallant officer and had served with the English in the Crimea—­had the order of the Bath, and exactly that stand-off, pompous manner which suits English people.  General Chanzy went to St. Petersburg.  It has been the tradition almost always to send a soldier to Russia.  There is so little intercourse between the Russian Emperor and any foreigner, even an ambassador, that an ordinary diplomatist, no matter how intelligent or experienced he might be, would have very few opportunities to talk to the Emperor; whereas an officer, with the various reviews and manoeuvres that are always going on in Russia, would surely approach him more easily.  I was so struck when we were in Russia with the immense distance that separated the princes from the ordinary mortals.  They seem like demigods on a different plane (in Russia I mean; of course when they come to Paris their godlike attributes disappear, unfortunately for themselves).

Chanzy was very happy in Russia, where he was extremely well received.  He dined with us one night, when he was at home on leave, and was most enthusiastic about everything in Russia—­their finances, their army—­the women of all classes so intelligent, so patriotic.  He was evidently quite sous le charme.  When he had gone, M. Desprey, then Directeur de la Politique, a very clever man, who had seen many ambassadors come and go from all the capitals of Europe, said: 

“It is curious how all the ambassadors who go to Russia have that same impression.  I have never known it to fail.  It is the Russian policy to be delightful to the ambassadors—­make life very easy for them—­show them all that is brilliant and interesting—­open all doors (society, etc.) and keep all sordid and ugly questions in the background.”

St. Vallier remained at Berlin.  His name had been mentioned for Foreign Minister when Dufaure was making his cabinet, but he hadn’t the health for it—­and I think preferred being in Berlin.  He knew Germany well and had a good many friends in Berlin.