ing
of the 3d, one after another. Aubry du Nord was at the Conciergerie. Our
dear and eloquent Cremieux was at Mazas. Louis Blanc, who, although
banished, was coming to the assistance of France, and was bringing to us
the great power of his name and of his mind, had been compelled, like
Ledru Rollin, to halt before the catastrophe of the 4th. He had not been
able to get beyond Tournay.

As for General Neumayer, he had not "marched upon Paris," but he had come
there. For what purpose? To give in his submission.

We no longer possessed a refuge. No. 15, Rue Richelieu, was watched, No.
11, Rue Monthabor, had been denounced. We wandered about Paris, meeting
each other here and there, and exchanging a few words in a whisper, not
knowing where we should sleep, or whether we should get a meal; and
amongst those heads which did not know what pillow they should have at
night there was at least one upon which a price was set.

They accosted each other, and this is the sort of conversation they
held:--

"What has became of So-and-So?"

"He is arrested."

"And So-and-So?"

"Dead."

"And So-and-So?"

"Disappeared."

We held, however, one other meeting. This was on the 6th, at the house of
the Representative Raymond, in the Place de la Madeleine. Nearly all of
us met there. I was enabled to shake the hands of Edgar Quinet, of
Chauffour, of Clement Dulac, of Bancel, of Versigny, of Emile Pean, and I
again met our energetic and honest host of the Rue Blanche, Coppens, and
our courageous colleague, Pons Stande, whom we had lost sight of in the
smoke of the battle. From the windows of the room where we were
deliberating we could see the Place de la Madeleine and the Boulevards
militarily occupied, and covered with a fierce and deep mass of soldiers
drawn up in battle order, and which still seemed to face a possible
combat. Charamaule came in.

He drew two pistols from his great cloak, placed them on the table, and
said, "All is at an end. Nothing feasible and sensible remains, except a
deed of rashness. I propose it. Are you of my opinion, Victor Hugo?"

"Yes," I answered.

I did not know what he was going to say, but I knew that he would only
say that which was noble.

This was his proposition.

"We number," resumed he, "about fifty Representatives of the People,
still standing and assembled together. We are all that remains of the
National Assembly, of Universal Suffrage, of the Law, of Right.
To-morrow, where sha