Ollivier was not present.
There had been a few hours of wavering on this question; but the tone of the Parisian evening papers--it was the French national day--the loud cries of the rabble for war, and their smashing the windows of the Prussian embassy, seem to have convinced the Emperor and his advisers that to draw back now would involve the fall of the dynasty.

Report has uniformly pointed to the Empress as pressing these ideas on her consort, and the account which the Duc de Gramont later on gave to Lord Malmesbury of her words at that momentous Council-meeting support popular rumour.

It is as follows:-- Before the final resolve to declare war the Emperor, Empress, and Ministers went to St.Cloud.After some discussion Gramont told me that the Empress, a high-spirited and impressionable woman, made a strong and most excited address, declaring that "war was inevitable if the honour of France was to be sustained." She was immediately followed by Marshal Leboeuf, who, in the most violent tone, threw down his portfolio and swore that if war was not declared he would give it up and renounce his military rank.

The Emperor gave way, and Gramont went straight to the Chamber to announce the fatal news[31].
[Footnote 31: This version has, I believe, not been refuted.

Still, I must look on it with suspicion.