“Ah!” said Rose, “things are going badly; I can see that clearly enough by all those gentlemen’s faces.  It is bad for my tablecloth, too; I am afraid I shall never see it again; somebody told me it had been torn in pieces.  But it is for the Emperor that I feel most sorry in all this business, for he is in a great deal worse condition than the marshal; he would be much better off in his bed than in that room, where he is wearing himself out with his everlasting walking.”

She spoke with much feeling, and on her pretty pink and white face there was an expression of sincere pity, but Delaherche, whose Bonapartist ardor had somehow cooled considerably during the last two days, said to himself that she was a little fool.  He nevertheless remained chatting with her a moment in the hall below while waiting for General Lebrun to take his departure, and when that officer appeared and left the building he followed him.

General Lebrun had explained to the Emperor that if it was thought best to apply for an armistice, etiquette demanded that a letter to that effect, signed by the commander-in-chief of the French forces, should be dispatched to the German commander-in-chief.  He had also offered to write the letter, go in search of General de Wimpffen, and obtain his signature to it.  He left the Sous-Prefecture with the letter in his pocket, but apprehensive he might not succeed in finding de Wimpffen, entirely ignorant as he was of the general’s whereabouts on the field of battle.  Within the ramparts of Sedan, moreover, the crowd was so dense that he was compelled to walk his horse, which enabled Delaherche to keep him in sight until he reached the Minil gate.

Once outside upon the road, however, General Lebrun struck into a gallop, and when near Balan had the good fortune to fall in with the chief.  Only a few minutes previous to this the latter had written to the Emperor:  “Sire, come and put yourself at the head of your troops; they will force a passage through the enemy’s lines for you, or perish in the attempt;” therefore he flew into a furious passion at the mere mention of the word armistice.  No, no! he would sign nothing, he would fight it out!  This was about half-past three o’clock, and it was shortly afterward that occurred the gallant, but mad attempt, the last serious effort of the day, to pierce the Bavarian lines and regain possession of Bazeilles.  In order to put heart into the troops a ruse was resorted to:  in the streets of Sedan and in the fields outside the walls the shout was raised:  “Bazaine is coming up!  Bazaine is at hand!” Ever since morning many had allowed themselves to be deluded by that hope; each time that the Germans opened fire with a fresh battery it was confidently asserted to be the guns of the army of Metz.  In the neighborhood of twelve hundred men were collected, soldiers of all arms, from every corps, and the little column bravely advanced into the storm of missiles that swept the road, at double time.