My royalty for Mme. Favart’s recitation of Stella at a performance given by the 14th Battalion amounted to 130 francs. My agent took my royalty in spite of my instructions. I have ordered him to turn the money over to the sick fund of the battalion.
M. Hetzel writes: “The closing of the printing office is imminent, as I can get no more coal to keep the presses going.”
I authorise another issue of 3,000 copies of Les Châtiments, which will bring the total for Paris up to 22,000.
December 20.—Captain Breton, of the Garde Mobile, who has been cashiered on the charge of being a coward, brought against him by his lieutenant-colonel, demands a court-martial, but first of all to be sent to the firing line. His company leaves to-morrow morning. He begs me to obtain for him from the Minister of War permission to go and get himself killed. I have written to General Le Flô about him. It is likely that he will take part in to-morrow’s battle.
December 21.—At 3 o’clock this morning I heard the bugles of the troops marching to battle. When will my turn come?
December 22.—Yesterday was a good day. The action continues. The thunder of cannon can be heard to the east and west.
Little Jeanne begins to talk at length and very expressively. But it is impossible to understand a word she says. She laughs.
Leopold has sent me thirteen fresh eggs, which I will reserve for little Georges and little Jeanne.
Louis Blanc came to dine with me. He came on behalf of Edmond Adam, Louis Jourdan, Cernuschi and others to tell me that he and I must go to Trochu and summon him to save Paris or resign. I refused. I should be posing as an arbiter of the situation and at the same time hamper a battle begun and which may be a successful one. Louis Blanc was of my way of thinking, as were also Meurice, Vacquerie and my sons, who dined with us.
December 23.—Henri Rochefort came to dine with me. I had not seen him since August of last year, when we were in Brussels. Georges did not recognise his godfather. I was very cordial. I like him very much. He has great talent and great courage. The dinner was a very merry one, although we are all threatened with incarceration in a Prussian fortress if Paris is captured. After Guernsey, Spandau. So be it.