Lay down your Arms by Bertha von Suttner — Read

We Remain in Paris to Get Ready a New House -- The "Question" Between France and Prussia -- Candidature of Prince Hohenzollern for the Crown of Spain -- The War Rumours and the Speeches in the Chamber Become Menacing -- The Hohenzollern Candidature Withdrawn -- Further Demands of France -- Threatening Debate in the French Chamber -- War Declared -- Excitement and Enthusiasm in Paris -- with Which Side Should We Sympathise? -- The Opposing Manifestoes -- We Linger in Paris -- Opinions About War of Eminent French Writers -- Proclamations of the Two Armies -- Secret History.

Paris society again dispersed in all directions. We, however, remained behind on business. For an extraordinarily advantageous bargain had been offered to us. Through the sudden departure of an American a little, half-finished hotel, in the Avenue de l'Imperatrice, had had to be offered for sale, and at a price which did not amount to much more than the sum already expended on the decoration and furnishing of the thing itself. As we had already the intention of spending in future some months of each year in Paris, and as the purchase in question was also at the same time an excellent bargain, we closed with it. We wished to superintend the completion ourselves, and for this purpose stopped in Paris. The decoration of one's own nest is, besides, such a pleasurable task that we willingly endured the unpleasantness of staying in a city the whole summer. Besides, we had plenty of houses to which we could resort for company. The château of Princess Mathilde, St. Gratien, then Château Mouchy, and next Baron Rothschild's place, Ferrières, and other summer residences besides of our acquaintance, were situated near Paris, and we arranged once or twice a week to pay a visit, now to one of them, now to another.