the word "servant," which rang ill in fists; insurgent soldiers, delighted to Republican ears. "I don't know what show insubordination which could have may be the opinion of those who have no danger when they were several dozens servants," added he, with a shrug, "but to one, clubbed their rifles and gnashed the people, who are accustomed to do oaths; and the small boys, still more their work for themselves, and to do it gratified to pelt a man with so much gold well, will ask for an account of last lace about him, caught up handfuls of night's treason, or else I'm mistaken." mud and commenced throwing at ran"Last night's treason! You surprise dom. Amidst all this M. Marron's late me," exclaimed M. Marron, much inter-interlocutor might have been seen pockested. "Now, hearing all those dis-eting his pipe with alacrity and hastening charges of artillery, I made up my mind to join the fray. "That's one of the traithose poor fellows were being led to cer- tors," he mumbled; "one who eats the tain glory; and I greatly pitied them, substance of the people! Pull him off though they did rob me of my night's his horse!"

rest."

This feat was already being attempted. "Whenever the people are beaten, Several rough hands had been laid on there is treason at the bottom of it," de- the horse's bridle, and the animal was claimed the tipsy citizen, sententiously. plunging. The colonel kicked out to "There are men who have an interest in right and left of him, and, being unable keeping the people from being victorious, to grapple his sword, plied his fist imparand it always will be so, until true patri-tially on the nearest heads; but a hard ots elect proper chiefs; but "- he broke off, as if modesty prevented him from saying what were the kind of men who should lead true patriots" but I know what I think, and that's enough."

M. Marron would have much liked to prolong a conversation so instructive, but Agathe, who was not prepossessed in the citizen's favour, tugged gently at her father's arm, and tried to draw him away. Perhaps M. Marron might have resisted the tug, but Agathe suddenly ejaculated, "Oh, papa, do look at that poor young man ! What has he done? They will be killing him!"

blow on the nostrils caused the horse to rear ; a dozen women and soldiers thereon clutched the colonel by the legs, arms, and belt, dragging him from the saddle, and he fell heavily to the ground, amidst a hullaballoo of triumph.

At that moment he stood a good chance of being trampled to death, but luckily the maddened plunges of his horse saved him, by obliging his molesters to loosen their hold. In momentarily retreating they gave him time to spring to his legs and to draw his sword, which he whistled round his head, keeping the whole mob at bay. "Back, you vile herd! One of you has stolen my watch!"

The poor young man in question was a Federal colonel, who had just galloped "It was one you had filched yourself," through the gate on a white horse reek-retorted a dozen voices with ready reparing with blood and foam. He wore a tee; and the rest of the mob, among smart black and scarlet uniform, with whom the vinous citizen was loudest in gold epaulets and lace, a red silk sash, and his vociferations, continued to shout, varnished knee-boots, and the morning "Traitor! thief! coward!" but without sun beating on all this finery made it glit-approaching within reach of the sword. ter with theatrical effect. The young "Ah, it's I who am a coward, is it!" man, however, was wildly excited, and he truly seemed in danger of his life, for, in dashing over the moat bridge, he had shouted to the fugitives who were obstructing him, "Out of the way, pack of cowards! You moved faster than that when the enemy were opposite you!"

exclaimed the young colonel, who seemed more than half delirious; "II, who would have led you to capture a battery, if you had not raced away like dogs the moment the enemy opened fire; and they were not a third as numerous as we! Ah! I am a coward! Look at "Cowards!" yelled a few insurgents, this!" and tearing open his tunic, he exturning round as if whipped. posed a bleeding gash on his chest. "Yes, cowards, poltroons! hare-footed" Look at that wound I received fighting braggarts!" sang out the colonel; and for you! If there's one among you who as he imprudently repeated his insults as can show anything like it, let him come fast as they could rise to his tongue, and forward, and he shall have my sword!" endeavoured to spur his horse through The wound was a mere scratch, but the and over the mob, an uproar ensued. oratorical gesture with which the young Women rushed up, brandishing their man laid his hands on his bleeding flesh

The wounded man, after noiselessly turning round, opened his eyes, and stared at her. She was then seventeen, and wore that air of virgin grace which is never found with such sweet perfection as in young French girls who have been brought up in entire ignorance of the world. Her eyes large, hazel eyeshad a deep wondering expression, and

was fine. The mob's shouts subsided | in the old stables and coach-house; and into half-abashed growls, and the impres- it was filled all day by printer's devils, siveness of the scene was heightened who came out there to wet their paper for when the young man, who had been hurt printing, to dry ink-rollers, or to break by the fall from his horse, and was, be- up type. At the window farthest from sides, faint from loss of blood and ex- the bed sat Agathe Marron silently workcitement, clasped a hand to his forehead, ing. staggered, and dropped swooning. The crowd quickly circled round him; some women knelt over his prostrate form, and it was soon seen that these good Samaritans were relieving him of his golden epaulets, his silk scarf and sword, and even of his varnished boots under pretext that this would help to revive him. One of them then declared that the tunic should be removed too. Three or four others as-fixed themselves on those who spoke to sisted her in the friendly job, and in less than a minute the colonel had been stripped of everything but his shirt and his buckskin breeches. His succourers then vanished, taking away his spoils and his horse, and a score or so of bystanders were all that remained to gaze at him, and advise that water should be got to bathe his head though no one volunteered to procure this restorative.

It was at this juncture that M. Marron and his daughter broke through the ring, and Agathe, pale and clasping her hands, exclaimed, "Oh, papa, he will die if he is left there! Could we not take him to his home?"

"There's nothing to show where he lives," replied an onlooker in deep disgust; "his breeches-pockets are empty." Then M. Marron spoke, clearing his throat: "I will give forty sous to any one who helps me to carry that young man to my residence in the Rue de Fleurus."

II.

her with a quiet trustful gaze, unsuspicious of deceit. Her chestnut hair, to which no false locks were attached, was plainly combed down in bands, such as one sees in the prints of twenty years ago; and she had on a black merino dress, with neat white collar and cuffs. While working she lifted her eyes now and then toward the bed, and in so doing a few moments after the patient had begun to scrutinize her, perceived that he had become conscious. Then he had an opportunity of hearing her voice, which was soft and innocent as a child's.

"You are awake, sir?" said she, rising and approaching the bed.

"Yes, but where am I?" asked the colonel, propping himself with astonishment on one elbow, without ceasing to stare at her.

to-day."

"Ah, yes, I think I remember. There was a battle, was there not?" And the insurgent passed an apprehensive hand over his limbs. "I do not feel hurt perhaps I could get up now?"

"You are in the lodgings of Monsieur Marron," answered Agathe, reddening a little at the intentness of his gaze. "You were brought in wounded, but the doctor says you are not injured, and will be THREE hours after this scene the Com-able to move to-morrow, if you lie quiet munist colonel awoke in M. Marron's bedroom. It was a chamber furnished with faded yellow velvet of Utrecht, the chairs being stiff and straight, after the fashion of the Consulate and Empire. There was a great deal of brass binding about the bed and the chest of drawers, on which figured, as a centre-piece, a glass shade covering the bridal wreath which the late Mdme. Marron had worn more than a quarter of a century before. The bed and window curtains were of red chintz bordered with yellow hems; and both the windows overlooked what had been a stable-yard when the Rue de Fleurus housed richer folk than it does at present. Of late years the yard had been given over to a printing-shop, established

66

Oh, sir, not to-day!" pleaded Agathe. "You spoke when you were brought here, but your mind was wandering; and the doctor assures us you must rest till to-morrow. I will call my father."

M. Marron, however, having heard voices, had bustled in from the next room, for he was on very tenter-hooks to ascertain the name and quality of his guest. On his heels followed a tall, sourvisaged servant, the Aglae to whom M.

"I have no wife or mother," replied the insurgent, in a careless voice.

Marron had alluded at the Vaugirard | partly turned away from the bed, and her gate. She had ruled over the ex-clerk's hands appeared to sort the reels in her household before Agathe was born, and workbox. was one of those valuable persons whose devotion is good to read of in books, but a trifle less pleasant in real life. It was she who first spoke by crying shrilly "There's no need to make any fuss, mam'selle. The doctor said monsieur's wound was nothing, but that he wanted quiet, and quiet he must have. Besides, he's unable to go home, for he has no coat or boots, and a man can't walk out without them, even in these times."

"What has become of my coat and boots?" asked the colonel, sitting up and glancing about him with somewhat of anxiety. "I had a watch, too, and a pocket-book; and then there was my horse has he been seen to?"

"The people at the Vaugirard gate took away all your things, sir," answered Agathe, with concern. "We have been hoping that they may have known your name, and that you may find everything when you go home."

The colonel gave a true French shrug: "I think there is little danger of that, mademoiselle,” rejoined he with a slightly bitter smile. "However, the loss is not great there are more where those things came from."

Again the sunlight seemed to come into play, and Agathe turned her face wholly away. At the same time the wounded man sank back on his pillow, while M. Marron installed himself at his bedside.

III.

VICTOR DE FIELOT passed a quiet night under M. Marron's roof, and in the morning the doctor declared him able to move. But somehow the patient dissented from this opinion, and begged for another day and night's rest. He had spent the previous afternoon in conversation with M. Marron, and in frequent glances towards the window where Agathe sat with her head placidly bent over work; and at dinner-time the table had been drawn near his bedside, so that by his particular request - his host and Agathe might dine with him. Aglae suggested with her customary tartness, that it was all this chatting that had retarded the patient's cure; but he protested, alleging that he felt almost well, only that he longed for a few more hours of the domestic peace from which he had been so many months severed.

"Be assured, sir, that my whole wardrobe is at your disposal," interposed M. Marron, obsequiously, and evidently im- M. Marron concurred in the prudence pressed by the cool way in which his of his guest's resolve, and was proud of guest treated the purloining of his prop-it, though the prolonged stay would erty. "If it be not indiscreet, might I inquire the name of the distinguished officer whom I have the honour to house?"

"My name is Victor de Fielot, Colonel of the 200th Legion, and I lodge at the Palace of the Legion of Honour," answered the patient, uttering his name and title not uncomplacently. "If you send to the palace, an orderly will come up and bring me another uniform and things."

"We'll send when you're fit to stir, not before," replied old Aglae, sharply. "We had enough waking last night, and are not going to have a lot of soldiers making free with our rooms this evening. that is," added she, half-relenting, less you've a wife or mother who is likely to be anxious at not hearing from you." Was it the play of the sunlight through the window-blinds that made it seem as if Agathe Marron changed colour while she waited for the wounded man to answer Aglae's question? Her face was

oblige him to sleep a second night on a sofa-bed. But in succouring the Communist chief the ex-clerk had not obeyed the dictates solely of charity. He had rapidly reflected that if there ever was a chance of getting his pension increased it must surely be enhanced by securing the friendship of one of the Communist leaders; and in addition to this he hoped he should be able to worm out of his guest what the prospects of the insurrection definitely were. The longer the colonel remained with him the greater would be the latter's indebtedness, and the greater too, in all probability, his tendency to be communicative.

So M. Marron sent out Aglae to purun-chase some dainties for breakfast; and when the doctor's visit was over the colonel got up, wrapped himself in M. Marron's simili-cashmere dressing-gown, and came to sit in the drawing-room, which was furnished in blue Utrecht velvet, faded like that of the bedroom, and ornamented with an alabaster clock and.

"The edict was an absurd one, but I have not influence enough over the Commune to prevent their doing absurdities,” laughed the colonel, good-naturedly.

chimney-vases filled with old paper roses. |luding to some of the Communist celebriOn the walls were two portraits in oil of ties; and he suffered severely in mind M. Marron in his youth and of Mdme. lest that cross-grained Aglae, who was Marron, with corkscrew ringlets. It was by no means partial to social regeneraan honest sort of room in its cheap tion should speak out her thoughts with finery; and that old Aglae possessed more truth than caution. It so chanced great respect for it was shown by her that Aglae did speak out her thoughts, never entering without dusting some- and no later than during breakfast; for thing a rather superfluous precaution, as the party were taking their seats at for she bestowed an hour's uninterrupted the table, which was decked with a show labour on it every morning, till the ma- of pink radishes, pats of swimming buthogany backs of the chairs and the pol- ter, silvery sardines, and golden-crusted ished oak floor glistened like mirrors. rolls, she remarked In this room, then, Victor de Fielot "Monsieur le colonel will find the sat all day, except at repast-time, watch-rolls new; and it's a mercy, for we've had ing Agathe work, and listening absently to put off our breakfast-hour because of to the ceaseless babble that flowed from that tomfool's edict about night-baking." M. Marron. Throughout the morning If monsieur has any influence over our and afternoon the rumble of artillery- governors he will do well to tell them not carriages resounded in the street below, to behave like children." with tramping of infantry and peals of those eternal bugles, for troops were being massed at the Vaugirard gate, and there was talk of a general sortie. All this stimulated the talkative verve of M. Marron to the utmost; and then there was his neighbour the printer down-stairs, who struck off two Communist newspapers, so that M. Marron obtained earlier copies than the rest of the world, things. There's that Church of St. Eusand was enabled to supply his guest with the freshest news. He told him how the Commune had decreed the arrest of General Cluseret in connection with the affair of the 28th; and how, on the other hand, M. Rochefort's Mot a'Ordre was celebrating that affair as a brilliant victory. He read the decree dividing Paris into two military divisions, under the command of a pair of Poles, Dombrowski and Wroblenski; and the The steaks sha'n't prevent my saving report of the sitting of the Commune, at what I think is right,” grumbled Aglae, which a member had moved the summary making a clatter with some plates as she execution of all nuns, priests, and hos-moved towards the door, and disregardtages. There was further a decree ap-ing the beseeching glances which Agathe pointing "General" Eudes Chancellor was throwing at her. "Who'd ever have of the Legion of Honour, and a para-thought I should have lived to see poor graph relating how, a few hours after his priests hunted about like vermin, and nomination, that noble character had Mademoiselle Agathe there kept from been picked up drunk in the Rue de going to church, because a parcel of Richelieu, with his two aides-de-camp. good-for-noughts don't believe in the God who made them?"

"Perhaps, though, you've power enough to prevent them turning our churches into pig-styes," continued Aglae, with intrepidity. "If I were a colonel, with soldiers under me, I wouldn't stand such

tache, which has become a club where a woman called Louise Michel preaches blasphemy and vice, so that I marvel she doesn't fear the fire of heaven will fall and burn her witch's tongue out!"

"Hush, Aglae; go and see to the steaks," stammered M. Marron, in great alarm. "Colonel, let me help you to some of this omelette; my daughter, Agathe, beat up the eggs for it herself."

"I am very sorry that the churches have been interfered with," said the colonel, gently, to M. Marron, when Aglae had disappeared; but there are many other acts of the Commune which I

M. Marron read the decree aloud, but he skipped the paragraph, being naturally sedulous to say nothing that might ruffle the susceptibilities of the insurgent officer. To this end he from first to last kept a careful guard over his tongue, approved by a simper but not by speech the criticisms and very rough criti- The Commune had prohibited night-baking, in the cisms they were, only M. Marron appre-ized against a practice prejudicial to health and interest of the journeymen bakers, who had memorial hended their very roughness might be a domestic happiness." People who breakfasted carly trap which the colonel let fall, in al-' under the Commune ate stale bread.

disapprove, and I only hope things will come back to their old condition after the civil war."

and nation, to assert her ascendancy over him.

66

"I know no battle-songs, colonel," said she, archly.

"I do not want a battle-song," he replied, as a gloomy look flitted quickly over his face. The distant booming of cannon had been audible all day, and one could not hearken a moment without recollecting the sinister struggle that was raging outside. "Not a battle-song," he repeated almost plaintively; "sing me something about fresh fields, the chirping of birds, peasant villages, and church bells."

It seemed a wonder that this insurgent should submit so peaceably to attacks on the cause for which he had been risking his life; but as the hours wore on he appeared to be as anxious to ingratiate himself with M. Marron as his host was to get into his own good books. The two passed the day in mutual attempts to dole out honey to each other. M. Marron soon noticed, however, that all allusions, even flattering, to the Commune were growing distasteful to his guest. The colonel vouchsafed no explanation as to "Church bells!" she echoed, bending why he had joined the insurrection, nor a rather wistful look on him; but it was what he had hoped of it, nor did he say with a softened manner that she went to what he had been before the war, nor the piano and glided her fingers over the who were his friends. Only once, when keys. Quietly and with religious feeling Agathe remarked innocently that she she preluded a pastoral by an imitation liked the sight of a regiment drawn up on of those simple steeple chimes, which parade, the insurgent's eyes kindled, and summon men to thank the Author of all he offered to exhibit himself to her riding good gifts, and to pray for grace to live at the head of his legion in the court-in brotherhood with one another. yard of the Carrousel. But this flash of Now, music had the property of lulling vanity had no sequel; and for the rest of M. Marron into a soothing sleep, so that the afternoon the colonel conversed with when it became a question of piano he Agathe about her own occupations, little retired into a dark corner and spread a joys, and small worries. It requires no newspaper over his knees, making as ordinary power of homely fascination to though he was going to listen attentively make a well-bred young French girl dis-all the evening. But at the first bar he course about herself; but presumably closed his eyes, and at the second he Victor de Fielot possessed this fascina-nodded. Soon a boom of cannon louder tion, for Agathe gradually was led to than usual roused him with a start; but prattle artlessly to him about her school- remembering that he flourished under a days, the death of her mother, her efforts régime of social regeneration, he dozed to learn housekeeping, and the Sunday off again beatifically, and a few seconds excursions on which she was accustomed later was wrapped in the sleep of the just to go with her father during summer- and unjust. time in the environs of Paris. From How long he slumbered is not certain, this conversation, to which the colonel but when he awoke the room was hushed. listened with all his ears, M. Marron was The piano had long ceased playing, and not excluded, for, whatever were the Victor de Fielot and Agathe were seated topic, he found means of throwing on it at the table conversing almost in whisa luminous observation; but by-and-by pers and turning over the leaves of an things took a turn which left him out, album. They were nestled close toand the young people enjoyed each oth-gether, and the shade of the lamp former's society by themselves. It came ing the light over them framed both their about by Victor asking Agathe whether heads in an aureola of brightness. He she would sing him something. There was was fair, she dark. His hair and slight an old piano in the drawing-room; and moustache were of blonde colour, his after dinner, when the two men had eyes blue, and his pink complexion had smoked a cigarette near the open win-lines of reckless daring strangely blended dow, the curtains were drawn, the lamp was lighted, and Victor reminded Agathe that he had elicited from her that she could sing.

She had become pretty intimate with him by this time, and perceiving him to be so gentle and appreciative, was begin ning, with the innate coquetry of her sex

weak

with the characteristics of a dreamy nature. She, in her innocent vivacity, had all the strength of sweet goodness, and, side by side, they undoubtedly made a comely picture.

The album which they were examining, with long pauses for talk between each page, was full of dried flowers which