telling the story to the Queen of Holland, he declared that he only said
'Vous etes absurde.'

It appears to have been in conversation with Pourtales, on January 17th,
that Reeve picked up this curious story. During the past few years many
State papers at Berlin had been stolen: amongst others, a letter from the
Tsar to the King of Prussia, written in the summer of 1855, to the effect
that Sebastopol could not hold out another month. This was sent to Paris
by Moustier just in time to revive the drooping spirits of the French
Government, after the repulse of June 18th.

Supposing this to be true--as Reeve certainly believed it to be--it was
only paying off Prussia in her own coin; for at least under Frederick
II.--the Prussian agents had shown a remarkable skill in obtaining secret
intelligence, either by purchase or by theft. In one case, in 1755, ten
important papers and the key of the cipher were stolen from the Count de
Broglie, the French ambassador, by his colleague and intimate friend, Count
Maltzahn, the Prussian ambassador, who obtained access to his rooms in his
absence. 'There is no doubt,' wrote De Broglie, 'that we are indebted for
this to the King of Prussia. I am quite sure that Maltzahn would not have
done it without an express order.' [Footnote: Le Secret du Roi, par le Duc
de Broglie, tom. i., p. 131]

_From Mr. C. C. Greville

January 15._--I am very glad to hear that Fould has responded with such
alacrity, and I shall be most anxious to hear from you again after your
interview and dinner with him. I told him in my letter that you had been
acquainted with the Emperor when he resided in England, and I hope he will
report your arrival to H.M., and that you will be summoned to the imperial