[Er...apart from a few volunteers for the front, there seems to be nothing to report! Did I miss something while I was distracted?]
"Well sir, I know that I have been busy but...it appears that the entire structure of Parisian society has either retired indoors for the winter, or has decided to go and fight at the front (for some unknown reason, given the snow and mud everywhere at this time of year). Most of the Dragoon Guards are off to fight, along with the second battalion of the King's Musketeers; the Archduke Leopold Cuirassiers have apparently volunteered to remain and bolster the winter lines, despite the fact that it means, of course, they will not be permitted to return to the capital until the end of April, and...oh yes, everyone is being pushed up for the Summer campaign. The government seems to feel that it is high time to teach those Netherlanders a lesson about not attempting to interfere with France's internal politics. Which also reminds me, do you know anything about Chabot? There is still a good deal of circumspect rumour regarding his sudden 'retirement', since nobody has received a letter or anything from him since his rather abrupt disappearance after the trial. And yet there have been no executions or reports of his death - 'tis passing strange. De Custaad is in some kind of woman trouble as well (he appears to have taken Grosscanard as some kind of role model, I think), but that is all of the news that seems to be happening at present. My apologies for the paucity of information: I will, of course, update you should anything fresh come to mind..."
